New Beginnings
by queen-bess-mccord
Summary: Every end has a new beginning. Elizabeth gets a fresh start as a PoliSci professor at UVA after quitting from her job as a CIA analyst, but what will this new chapter in life hold for her? AU-ish
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm on break now so I managed to get back into the groove of writing! :) Hope you like this one. As usual, reviews are _highly_ appreciated! Enjoy! :)

* * *

 **VIRGINIA, FALL 2014**

"McCord!"

It was a regular Wednesday afternoon in the archives and Henry had his head buried in a book, immersed in studying the likes of Aquinas and his counterparts. His eyes travelled across the pages quickly, letting the words color his mind.

"Hey, McCord!" Professor Kenton called again. The assistant archivist looked up from her desk and hissed at him. He shot her an apologetic look before he made a beeline for Henry.

"McCord," he whispered harshly.

Henry sensed someone beside him and jumped when he saw his colleague's face barely 4 inches away from his. Readjusting his glasses, he greeted him, "Oh, hey Kenton!"

"I've been calling you."

"You have?"

"Yeah, easily half a dozen times."

"Oh, sorry bout that." He located his phone in his backpack, confirming what Kenton said. "What's up? Is it something urgent?"

"Yeah, sort of. Got a last minute notice, we have a new staff member coming in tomorrow. Since you've been here for ten something years now, you're in charge of giving her an orientation. Alright with you?"

"Yeah, sure. What time and where?"

"Alderman Library, 8 am."

"Got it."

* * *

Elizabeth smoothened the tiny creases in her blouse as she waited outside the library. She was a couple of minutes early, wanting to make a good impression on the first day of her new job as a political science professor.

With a son to care for, she had to decline her appointment as Station Chief of Baghdad and consequently, she resigned from her position as an analyst in the CIA. She continued offering consulting services to the intelligence community for awhile, reluctant to completely leave the job she loved before landing a job in UVA. Switching to a job in academia was not a particularly difficult decision afterwards. She had greatly enjoyed her time at UVA studying political science as a student, so she returned to her alma mater, this time as an educator.

At 8 am sharp, Henry spotted Elizabeth by the entrance of the library and made his way over.

His heart skipped a beat when he walked out of the glaring sun and into the shade. She was beautiful, to say the least, the most striking feature being her eyes. They were a striking Mediterranean blue, steely yet warm. He recollected his thoughts.

"Dr Adams?"

"That's me," she smiled, "And you are?"

"Henry McCord, I teach Theology here. Nice to meet you." He held a hand out, which she shook, noting the absence of cold metal against his skin - she wasn't married. He felt a tiny leap of joy in his chest.

"Nice to meet you too, Dr McCord. So where are we headed to first?"

"Office. We need to get your staff pass. It's nearby."

After visiting the main office, they went on a quick tour of the campus. Much has changed since her time as a student, but the main buildings were still intact and she recognized some of them as he guided her around.

"I used to study here. Political science, obviously," she chuckled. "I still remember my classes in that building," she said, pointing to a glass-paneled building nearby, "It definitely did not look like that back then."

He found her laughter endearing, her raspy voice charming to the ears. He was falling for her, _fast,_ and he barely even knew her.

"I was a student here too," he grinned, glad that they had something in common.

"Seriously? How did I not know you back then!"

"Yeah! I was in ROTC, class of '87."

"Ah, I graduated in 1990. Missed you by a bit."

"I was a TA for a while before I got my PhD though, taught a couple of classes to political science students."

"Dang, I've never gotten your classes before. We could have known each other!" she grinned.

Their shared experience at UVA paved the way for easy conversation throughout the morning aside from the procedures and regulations she had to be briefed on, concluding the trip around campus with lunch.

"The food here's much better than it was 15 years ago," she noted, chewing her food appreciatively.

"That, I have to agree," he laughed.

Her office was the last stop. It was a cozy room with a large window directly opposite the door and the wooden furniture added warmth to the place. There were shelves on both sides of the room and her desk was furnished with a computer and her very own nameplate.

"Wow," she breathed. She reached out and brushed her fingers along her name engraved on the metal.

"Yeah, this is your office. You'll be spending a _lot_ of time in here," he chuckled, thinking about all the times he graded papers.

"I bet."

"Well, this is where I leave you for today."

"Oh, it was nice getting to know this place again. Thanks," she smiled, sending his mind into a bit of a scramble.

"I, uh, my office is down the hall, at the very end. If you need any help, feel free to drop by anytime."

"Will do."

"See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

* * *

Elizabeth dropped off her scarf and handbag by the entrance. "I'm home!"

No answer.

She sighed. By the sound of it, her son was playing his video games again. What was it? Call of Dudes? Call of Duty? Sounds about right.

She located him on the couch in the living room, his eyes glued to the screen. She never understood why he liked such violent games. Leaning over, she pecked him on his head. "Earth to Jace."

"Hey, mom. How was your first day at work?"

"It was alright. A lot of stuff was still the same as they were back then."

"Cool." His focus shifted back to the game, his fingers furiously attacking the buttons on the controller.

She sighed again; it was hard to elicit a reply from him whenever he was concentrating on a game.

"You seem busy, so I'll start preparing dinner…" her voice trailed off.

The noises coming from the TV suddenly stopped. "I'll do it!" Jason immediately paused his game and ran off to the kitchen. His mom was an experimental cook and by no means a good one. He wasn't going to let her touch the stove.

"Thanks, honey," she chuckled, "I'm going to take a shower, let me know when you're done."

"Okay, Mom."

As she closed the door to her room, she felt a smile forming on her lips.

Her day wasn't just 'alright', she met Henry McCord, and the attraction she felt towards him was undeniable. She was glad, and intrigued, when she noticed his bare ring finger - it was odd that a guy like him wasn't married.

Her new job was off to a great start after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : So here's the 2nd chapter! :) Hope you'll like it! And as always, reviews are _highly_ appreciated! Enjoy! x

* * *

The first day of school rolled around soon after she started her job at UVA. Students filled the hallways with chatter as they caught up with one another after their summer break, and Elizabeth couldn't be happier to feel that familiar air of excitement swirling about.

While she packed her materials for her first class, Henry appeared at her door. "Morning. How's it going? I was on my way to class, thought I'd pop in."

"Good, getting ready for a lecture," she grinned. "Kinda nervous, but more excited than anything."

"Don't be, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I hope so." She grabbed her bag and walked out of her office. "So where are you headed to?"

"Cocke Hall, 3rd floor."

"We're going in the same direction then. I'm on the 1st floor."

"Oh, walk with me?"

"Sure."

She felt a little flutter building in her chest, then internally chided herself for feeling happy that they were going to class together. Jesus Christ she was a mature woman for crying out loud! And here she was, acting like a teenager with her first crush. She forced the feelings down as they crossed the front lawn.

When they reached her lecture hall, he stopped. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

He took a few steps, then turned around to face her again. Her hand paused on the door handle. "Before you go, I was wondering if you're free after this?"

"Yeah, I have a free hour before my next lecture." Her heart picked up its pace.

"Great, wanna grab a cup of coffee at the cafe here?"

"Yeah, sure."

"See you later."

"See you."

She watched his figure disappear into the lift before she entered the lecture hall.

"Good morning, class. My name is Elizabeth Adams, and I'll be your Political Theory professor this semester…"

* * *

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out of her lecture. It seemed to have went fine, and everyone didn't look as confused as she thought they would by the end of it.

Using the signs around the building, she managed to locate the cafe within a few minutes.

It was a quaint food place buzzing with students and staff members alike. Henry was already seated by the window when she arrived, and she made her way through the crowd when he waved at her.

"How did your lecture go?"

"Surprisingly, better than I thought it would. They didn't look too puzzled so I take that as a good sign."

"It is! You're lucky if you didn't have a line of students waiting to ask questions on the first day," he laughed.

"That's great, then," she grinned. "So, what are you drinking today?"

"I think I'll just get a regular coffee."

"Ok, two cups of coffee coming up!"

She returned with steaming black coffee and a blueberry muffin. Confectioneries were her weakness and the buttery smell wafting through the air was too much for her to resist. She gave it a good sniff before she dug her fork into the soft sponge and took a bite.

The way she wriggled her nose as she hovered above her muffin made him smile, until she caught him looking at her.

"Is there something on my face?"

He snapped out of his reverie. "No, uh, nothing. How much is the coffee?"

"Don't worry about it, take it as thanks for the other day when you brought me around."

"Thanks for the coffee, then."

They chatted animatedly about their syllabi and lesson plans over the much needed caffeine boost. There was much to cover, since this was Elizabeth's first time being a professor. Henry dropped some advice as they discussed academic assessments and before they knew it, the hour-long break was over. With a final mention of thanks, they made their way to their respective classes.

The following days passed in a blur. Elizabeth started getting into the momentum of things, and work started piling up for all the staff members. Papers needed grading, exams were prepared and given out, and new materials were constantly coming in. She had to regularly bring her work home with her and while she welcomed the extra brain stimulation, she was often completely exhausted by 10 pm.

Being a single child in a single parent family meant that Elizabeth and Jason only had each other to rely on. While she adjusted to her new job, Jason made sure she was taking care of herself. That meant preparing her meals to ensure that she didn't succumb to her bad habit of forgetting them and insisting on bedtime when she got too engrossed in her work. But of course, everything was done with a small dose of the regular teenage angst.

Henry, on the other hand, went straight into the rhythm of it. The rigor of a career in academia was something he was used to. He was grateful that his daughters were mature and capable enough to care for themselves after his divorce, especially when his job grew more demanding at times.

He had to stifle a tiny giggle when he saw Elizabeth snoring on her desk in her office one day, her pen in one hand and her head propped up by the other.

He gingerly pushed the door open and stepped in, not wanting to surprise her.

As he approached her, he felt the urge to wake her up but seeing how peaceful she was in her sleep, he couldn't bear to do so. Quietly, he exited her office, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

She jerked awake. _Shit, what time was it?_ Her head snapped to the clock on the wall.

5:18 pm.

She heaved a sigh of relief and picked up her pen again, wanting to resume her work, but not before she noticed the cup of coffee and apple cinnamon muffin by her desktop. She was pretty sure those weren't there before she dozed off.

Curious, she picked them up, revealing the post-it note on the coffee which was initially hidden from her view.

 _Thought you might need them. Hang in there. - Henry_

Her heart melted. She took a grateful sip of the coffee, then dove back into work, not sure whether it was Henry's gesture or the caffeine that now pushed her on. But at least one thing was clear - she was falling in love with Henry too.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hey guys! Thank you so so much for all the lovely reviews, follows and favorites! I love reading them and they motivate me to write :D I've been a tiny bit busy, so bear with me a bit when my updates are slower. I'm starting school soon, so my updates will be even slower than it is now, but I'll try my best to keep up. ANYWAY, have fun reading! :) As always, reviews are _highly appreciated_! :) Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey, Dr McCord. Hope you don't mind me popping by."

He looked up from the paper he was reading, surprised but mostly delighted to see Elizabeth standing at his office door.

"Oh, Dr Adams, hi! It's fine, come in! And just call me Henry," he winked.

"Feel free to call me Elizabeth too," she chuckled, returning the wink, "Brought you some coffee."

He was flirting with her a little, but...was she actually flirting back? Butterflies sprung to life in his stomach.

They went on regular coffee breaks together, often needing multiple doses of caffeine throughout the day, but their schedules grew too busy to fit those in so they had to put it on hold.

He accepted the cup of black liquid with a murmur of thanks and invited her to sit. "So what brings you here?"

"I'm giving a lecture on religion in politics for a class in two weeks' time and you immediately came into mind. I was wondering if you'd like to be my co-lecturer that day."

"Seriously? I'd love to! When is it?" He was flattered she had even thought of him at all.

"Thursday afternoon, 3 pm. Will you be free?"

He flipped through his planner, hoping he had that hour free. When he finally found the page, he smiled.

"I'm free."

"Great!" she grinned, "We'll need to plan the lesson soon, are you free this week?"

"I think I can squeeze in some time on Friday afternoon."

"Sounds like a plan. See you on Friday."

"See you." And with that, she was off to her next class.

It was only Monday, and he was already looking forward to Friday.

* * *

The days couldn't go by fast enough, despite his busy schedule. He found himself checking his watch often, simply waiting for the work days to end. Thinking about spending time with her made him much happier than usual, even if it was just for work, and it didn't go unnoticed.

He was home for dinner one day - a rarity that week - and as they ate the meal Alison prepared, Stevie asked, "Did something good happen at work, Dad? You seem really happy these days."

He choked on his vegetables; he wasn't aware that it was _that_ obvious. "Nothing much," he replied nonchalantly.

"Dad, you know you're a bad liar right?" Alison added.

"Am I?"

"Don't change the topic, who's the mystery lady?" Stevie wiggled her eyebrows at her dad playfully.

Blood rose to his cheeks. "Waiー what? No one!" He looked downwards and concentrated on his food, pursing his lips to hide his grin.

"So it _is_ a mystery lady! Tell us, Dad, come on!"

"There's no one!" he insisted lamely.

"You're not just a bad liar, you're a terrible one. Your right eye does that tiny twitch when you lie."

"Fine, fine," he held up his hands in defeat, and the two sisters beamed at each other. "She's a new professor, and she's really nice...and she invited me to give a lecture in her class. We're planning the lesson tomorrow."

"That's wonderful!"

"It is, but to be clear about this, we're _not_ together. I like her, that's all."

"Dad, she'd be silly not to like you."

"Thank you, Noodle, but I have no idea how this is gonna go, so don't keep your hopes up."

"We're happy for you, Dad," Stevie said, offering an encouraging smile and reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Come here." Both of them got up and hugged their dad. He kissed the two of them on their cheeks. "I love you two. Thank you."

Friday finally arrived and Elizabeth couldn't be more excited to meet Henry in the afternoon. That, plus the weekend vibes, made her morning lessons much more enjoyable even though she was tired and only had one cup of coffee to last her until lunch.

At 4 pm, she reached his office with two cups of coffee and took a few deep breaths before knocking on his door twice.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open and greeted him softly. "Hey."

Recognizing the voice, his face instantly lit up. "Hey, Elizabeth!"

"Got you a cup of coffee. This might take awhile so I figured both of us might need it," she smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, I have the rest of the day free."

"Great, let's get started."

They sat at a small corner of his office, sipping their coffee as Elizabeth briefed him on what she had planned so far. It soon became a discussion between the two of them as they talked about current affairs and the rise of religious extremism in the world. Henry's expertise in the area proved to be useful as he gave greater depth to a topic she was familiar with.

While he talked with passion, she also spoke with ardor. Her interest and enthusiasm in the topic was evident in the way she talked animatedly. Within minutes of starting the session, Henry was sure she made an excellent professor even though he had never attended any of her lectures.

As their talk dragged on into the evening, their seats gradually gravitated towards each other. Whenever he leaned over to edit her presentation slides, she'd notice the brightness in his eyes as he spoke of the subject, or the grey peppering his hair. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful his eyes were; they were speckled with green among its hazel strands.

Their hands often bumped into each other in the cramped space as they took turns making changes to the content on her laptop, sending sparks between them.

By the time they ended the session, it was already dark outside.

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes, tired from the hours spent staring at a screen. The place was so quiet, she supposed most of the staff had left.

"What time is it?" she breathed.

"Nearly 8 pm."

She internally cursed at herself. Picking up her phone, she shot a quick text to her son.

 _Jace, I'm so sorry, I forgot to mention that I'll be working late today. I'll have dinner before I come home so make sure you grab some food. There's some Chinese leftovers in the fridge. Xoxo._

His reply was almost instant.

 _Ok, already eaten it. Make sure you eat proper food. See you._

She smiled. He had his not-so-pleasant teenage moments, but he was still a sweet kid.

"Your kid?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell him I'll return from work late today but turns out I didn't need to worry after all."

"That's nice," he replied, mirroring her smile. "My daughters are used to my occasional late nights at work, so they make sure they have dinner by the time I'm home."

"Ah, I see, that's lovely too." Not knowing what else to say, she packed up her stuff and got up. "I should go home. Thanks a lot for today, Henry."

"You're welcome, I'm happy to help." Just as she started leaving, he gathered his courage and asked, "Um, since it's late, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner."

His heart raced in his chest as the question tumbled out of his mouth.

"I'd love to."

Leaving his office, they made their way to his car after finding out that she commuted to work by bus.

"So where to?" he asked as they buckled up.

"Hmm, surprise me."

They ended up in a Chinese restaurant which was a convenient 10-minute drive away from campus. She chuckled when she saw where they stopped and Henry cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.

"My son just had Chinese for dinner. What a coincidence."

He laughed along with her. "The dumplings here are really good. And they're open til midnight so I frequently come here for dinner if I work late."

"Sounds great."

It was past peak hours so the place was almost empty and they managed to be seated at a booth the moment they arrived. Their waiter handed them an order slip and told them that he would be back once they've decided on what to eat.

Henry immediately placed an order for brown rice with sesame chicken and vegetables, and a plate of fried dumplings to share with her.

"Do you have any recommendations?" She peeked at what he wrote, unsure of what to choose.

"You might want to try their noodles, they're good."

"I'll get a chow mein then."

Within minutes, their orders reached their table and they hungrily dug in. As they filled their stomachs with food, Elizabeth asked him about his daughters.

"Stevie's currently in her second year of college, and Alison's still in high school. I love them, they're my greatest treasures."

"I can tell," she smiled. "How do they look like?"

He retrieved his phone from his pocket and searched for a family photo before passing it to her.

They stood together with huge grins on their faces and Henry in the middle, his arms around both his daughters. "That's Alison," he pointed at the black-haired girl, "and that's Stevie. Well, Stephanie, actually. Stevie's a nickname."

She studied the photo. "They're beautiful girls. Alison looks a lot like you."

"Yeah, Stevie looks more like her mother. Things didn't work out between Melissa and I, so we divorced a few years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright," he shrugged, "The girls were young when it happened but they understood the situation and adjusted pretty quickly. I'm proud of them."

"I'm sure you are. John and I...we had issues so we separated too."

"I'm sorry to hear that too," he paused, "How about your son? How old is he?"

"Jason's just a few years younger than Alison, he's still in middle school. He has his teenager moments, but deep down, he's a nice kid."

Elizabeth shared a photo of the two of them taken during a recent visit to a museum with Henry, who noted that they shared similarities in appearance as well. The conversation shifted to their previous jobs as they finished up their dinner.

"I consulted with the intelligence community before I came to UVA, but before that I was a CIA analyst at Langley."

"That's amazing! What kind of stuff did you do?"

"It's classified." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "How about you?"

"I was in ROTC, so I landed in the Marines, full-time, right after getting a degree and was there for quite a few years. After I got my PhD and got bored with flying planes," he joked, "I became a professor, and I've been at UVA ever since."

"Not too shabby yourself, Dr McCord," she winked.

"Thank you." He did a tiny bow in his seat, eliciting a giggle from her.

They split the bill once they finished their drinks and exited the restaurant, greeted by the crisp autumn air as they stepped out. Elizabeth exhaled a visible puff of air as she took in the peacefulness of the night.

"Thanks a lot for today, Henry. I'm really looking forward to the lecture."

"My pleasure, I'm looking forward to it too."

"I should get going. Have a great weekend." She started to walk away, but he didn't want the night to end. Not yet.

"Wait up, Elizabeth! Do you want a lift home?"

She turned around. "Are you sure? I don't wish to bother you."

"It's no bother at all." He opened the passenger side door. "Hop in."

She couldn't say no.

They slipped into light-hearted conversation as they got into his car, chatting about work and their kids and breaking out in laughter from time to time. With the directions she gave, he navigated the roads without trouble and they pulled up on her street within 30 minutes.

"Turns out you live not too far away from me," Henry noted.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm just a 15-minute drive away."

"Ah. I really appreciate the ride, Henry. See you on Monday," she grinned.

"Yeah, no problem." He paused. "Elizabeth?"

She stopped, her hand resting on the door handle while her heart picked up its pace. "Yeah?"

"Is it alright if I see you more often outside of work?" He swallowed nervously.

She bit down on her lip as her face broke into an even wider smile. "Of course."

His hand tentatively reached out towards her and gently, he ran his fingers along her cheek. A blush crept up her face as she leaned into his warmth.

"Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sleep well."

"Same to you, Henry," she whispered.

She left the car, her body tingling with emotions she hadn't felt in a while. The cool temperature did nothing to help her calm down and her face remained hot as she entered her home.

"Hey, Mom," Jason greeted, then eyed her suspiciously. "Are you having a fever? Your face is all flushed."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Goodnight, Jason."

He shrugged and returned to his homework.

As she laid in bed that night, she couldn't help but feel excited to go to work on Monday. And the weekend's barely started.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm hoping releasing this on the first day of school will make it better somehow, hah. I hope you guys will like this chapter. :) And as always, reviews are _highly appreciated_. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Elizabeth greeted her son as he emerged from his room, tiredly shuffling his feet into the kitchen.

"Are you cooking breakfast?" he asked in shock. The sight of his mom frying eggs instantly cured him of sleepiness and sent his mind into mild horror. The last time she cooked eggs she nearly burnt the kitchen down.

"C'mon, Jace, give me some credit. Nothing's burning this time."

"If I end up in the ER I'm sending you my doctor's bill."

"And since when did I not pay for the doctor's bill?" She placed her hands on her hips, mocking offense.

"Good point." He took a small bite of the scrambled eggs. Or what's supposed to be scrambled eggs, at least.

"Well…? I followed the book and it looks about the same in the picture."

"It's...probably edible." He winced slightly as he swallowed.

"There ya go." She took a fork and scooped some into her mouth, almost gagging when the taste hit her tongue. It was twice as salty as it ought to be. She grabbed a paper towel and spitted it out. "Y'know what, we have bananas, let's eat bananas. I'm not giving you kidney stones."

They burst out in laughter and abandoned the eggs for fruits. Sitting at the small table, they updated each other on school and work before Elizabeth chased him out of the door to catch the school bus. Just as she was filling up her thermoflask with coffee, her phone buzzed. She picked it up guessing that Jason forgot something and needed her to pass it to him, but it was a text from Henry.

 _Good morning :) I was wondering if you'd like a ride to work?_

She smiled.

 _Yeah, sure :)_

 _Great, I'm reaching._

She looked out of her window to see the navy blue car reversing into her driveway. "Seriously?" she murmured to herself, amused.

She grabbed her stuff and strolled over to his car.

"Morning," she said as she got in and strapped on her safety belt.

"Morning," he smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" she teased.

"Nothing." He mashed his lips together, trying not to smile but failing miserably. It was hard not to be in good spirits in her presence.

"I'm curious - if I said 'no' just now, would you have kidnapped me and drove me to work anyway?"

"I would have just drove past and head to our office," he answered with a straight face.

A giggle bubbled from her lips; his honesty was adorable. "I was joking."

He grinned sheepishly without turning towards her, keeping his eyes on the road as they weaved through morning traffic. Elizabeth dozed off within minutes, her soft snores joining the music playing from the radio. He had to nudge her awake when he pulled into the parking lot.

"Sorry about just now, I had a late night," she apologized as they walked the short distance to their office. "Lunch later?"

"Sure."

They soon fell into a routine - work, lunch, work, coffee break, work, home. Henry would appear at her door every morning to pick her up for work, then send her home after. Even most of their free time in school was spent together, talking about anything and everything, getting to know each other better. It felt as easy and natural as breathing.

It wasn't long before the day of their lecture came and on Thursday afternoon, they found themselves in her office.

Elizabeth checked her backpack, making sure all her materials were there.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Let me get that for you." Henry gently took her backpack and slung it over his free shoulder. With Henry, chivalry was very much alive.

"Thanks," she beamed.

The chattering in the room dropped to silence the moment they stepped into the lecture hall. Her presence alone commanded attention, and Henry was impressed at how everyone's eyes were on her.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Today we will be covering religion in politics." She chuckled when some students groaned. "I understand this is not something you guys may be particularly interested in, but it is important for you to understand what I'm teaching today. It's extremely relevant in the current world so I'd like for you to listen to this lecture with an open mind."

"Before I move on to give you an introduction on the topic, I want to introduce to you my co-lecturer for today. Dr McCord here is a professor in Theology and given his area of expertise, I believe you'll find the lecture a little less boring. He'll be taking over some parts of the lecture later on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask either of us after class. Now let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

The lecture ended without a hitch and Elizabeth felt her nervousness fade away as she placed the mic down. It was already halfway through the semester but giving a mass lecture was something she hadn't really gotten used to yet.

Groups of students started to gather at the front of the hall as she shut the projector down and the chatter started rising again. She noticed not only several familiar faces in the small crowd, but an unusually large number of girls as well. Could it be…?

Before she could drift off into her thoughts, one of the students approached her for some help. She turned her attention back to answering questions but kept her eye on the queue that sought Henry's attention.

When the group finally dispersed, they packed up and left the lecture hall for their coffee break.

"They seemed really interested in the subject. They had a lot of good questions."

"Actually, I think you gained a cult following in my class," she teased. "I'm surprised they didn't start asking for your autograph."

"Cult following?"

"Seriously? You didn't notice?" She punched his arm playfully.

"Ow. And no, I didn't notice. You mean you usually don't get that many people asking questions?"

"What can I say? I'm efficient in my lectures."

"I noticed. I've never seen anyone deliver a lecture like that before," he said, awestruck.

"I could say the same for you, Dr McCord," she grinned. "Now I really wished I was in one of your classes when you were a TA."

They ordered their regular cups of coffee and as usual, Elizabeth grabbed a pastry to go with her drink. As they collected their orders, Henry pulled her aside.

"I have a place I want to show you."

She let him take the lead and after 5 minutes of walking, they ended up in a secluded area near their office. It was a small garden of sorts, the broad path lined with trees clothed in vibrant warm hues. Fall was reaching its peak and the leaves were turning into shades of red and gold around them. Henry sat on a bench and invited her to do the same.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah, it's gorgeous, especially during fall and spring. I like how peaceful it is. Not many people know of this place."

"I bet." She let the serenity wash over her as she sipped her coffee.

He watched her tilt the cup towards her lips as her face relaxed into a soft smile. Henry, on the contrary, felt anything but relaxed.

Hesitantly, he moved his free hand towards hers. When she didn't pull away, he took that as a positive sign and slipped his hand into hers.

To his surprise, she intertwined her fingers with his and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Her gesture emboldened him. He took a deep breath. "Elizabeth, will you go out with me?"

Her reply was instantaneous.

"Yes."

His heart soared. She said yes! Then she leaned in and spoke again. "One question - are co-workers allowed to date?"

He nearly burst out in hysterical laughter. "Martha and James from the second floor of our office got married last year. It's not really encouraged but yes, co-workers are allowed to date."

"Okay." She laid her head on his shoulder, contented.

"Maybe we'll be like that in a few years' time."

She pulled back to look at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding. Too soon?" he asked apologetically.

"Not really, no, I'm just messin' with you," she chuckled as she leaned on him again.

"Dinner after work tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect."

When they had to return to work, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before they walked back to their office together, making him turn crimson red.

She laughed when she noticed the persistent tinge of pink on his cheeks as they reached his door. "See you later?"

"Yeah, see you," he smiled before closing his door.

Elizabeth walked down the hallway and retreated into her own office, sinking into the nearest chair as she gathered her thoughts. Her lips curved into a smile as she relived their walk just moments before and committed it to memory.

Several minutes passed before she stood up and returned to her desk to continue her work. With a date on the next day, there were things to be done.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! I absolutely adore reading them and they feed my fire to write :) So here it is, their date! :P Took me awhile to write this but I truly hope you'll like it! Huge thank you to Reka (arikan137 on tumblr by the way!) for helping me with the final check! 'Nuff said! Read and enjoy! :)

* * *

The smell of pancakes filled the McCord residence, like it did every other Friday. Alison and Stevie bounded down the stairs the moment the scent hit their noses.

"Pancakes!" Alison squealed excitedly, watching the batter sizzle in the pan.

"They're almost done." Henry kissed her cheek.

Stevie observed her father, sensing that he was somehow different today but not being able to place a finger on it.

"Dad, did you do something different to your outfit today?" Stevie asked.

Henry fell silent for a moment, then asked, his voice unsure, "Girls...what do you think about me going on a date tonight?"

Alison gasped. "With the mystery lady?! That's fantastic!"

"Dad, that's great! Go for it!" Stevie cheered.

His marriage with Melissa hadn't been a particularly bad one, but Henry was a giver - when he loved her, he loved her with everything he had. When that wasn't reciprocated in equal measure, things naturally started falling apart. But Henry persevered, he showered her in affection, cared for her. Then she fell in love with another person. Feeling that Henry deserved better, they officially severed ties, just when Stevie turned 15.

Alison and Stevie saw their father go through a rough time, at one point recklessly throwing himself into work and pushing himself to his breaking point. Having been through that, they couldn't bear seeing him in that state again, so they supported him in whatever he did, as long as he was healthy and happy.

Henry looked at his beautiful daughters and smiled. Their support meant everything to him.

* * *

"Morning, honey," Elizabeth greeted, kissing her son's head as she entered the kitchen.

"Morning," he replied, sliding the bacon onto his plate before joining his mom at the table.

"Ready for your history test today?"

"Yeah, probably," he shrugged.

"You'll be fine, we went through your notes last night and you got pretty much everything right."

"Thanks, Mom," he smiled, then noticed that she was wearing the navy blue wraparound dress that she reserved for nicer occasions. "Going out tonight?"

"Yeah, a few colleagues asked me out for some drinks," she replied lamely, hoping he'll buy it. Well, it wasn't entirely wrong, except that only one colleague asked her out, and it wasn't a drinking session but a date. Close enough. "Will you be fine on your own?"

"Mom, I'm 13." He rolled his eyes.

She chuckled. "Your bus is reaching soon. Go get your stuff."

She wished him good luck as he left the house, leaving her to prepare her coffee before Henry came.

At 7.45 am sharp, he knocked on her door with a small bouquet of tulips in hand. To say that he felt nervous was an understatement. He drew a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Coming!"

She appeared at the door seconds later and his breath hitched in his throat. She was gorgeous. The dress fitted her nicely and accentuated her curves but it was still appropriate for work, and the color brought out her eyes, making them bluer than they already were. For someone who regularly quoted the works of dead monks and saints, he found himself uncharacteristically speechless. Words were failing him.

"Hey," she breathed, "You look nice."

Her voice brought him back to reality. "Hey yourself. You look beautiful." He took her hand, entwining their fingers.

"Thanks." She looked down shyly, feeling an unfamiliar warmth flood her cheeks.

Wordlessly, he handed her the flowers, eliciting a soft gasp from her lips. "Do you like them?"

"Definitely, tulips are my favorite. They're beautiful, Henry. Thank you." She pecked his cheek before they made their way to his car.

Work could not have gone any slower that day. Their schedules were the most relaxed on Fridays, but with different appointments and meetings throughout the day, they couldn't meet each other for lunch or even a coffee break. The only interactions they had were glances and small touches as they passed each other in the hallway.

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes after she finished composing the last question for her students' finals. It had been a tiring week and all she wanted to do was doze off. She almost did, until she heard two soft knocks on her door.

"Come in," her voice barely audible.

"Elizabeth?"

Her eyes opened and her face lit up when she recognized the voice. "Henry, hi."

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me grab my stuff." As she packed up her belongings, warmth bloomed in his chest when he noticed the pink tulips he gave her earlier on in a small vase by her computer screen.

She slipped her hand into his as they left her office, not caring if anyone saw. He walked slightly ahead of her, but she could see the edge of his lips curved into a smile.

"What are we having for dinner today? Japanese? Italian? Ooh, Mexican?"

"It's a secret." He winked as he started the car, laughing when she pouted at him.

He navigated his way through the evening traffic, which was relatively heavy as the weekend approached. Occasionally, he'd glimpse at her, her features thrown into stark relief as the setting sun shone into the confined space of the car. Her skin was practically glowing under the warm light, bringing out its rich olive tone. He had to resist staring at her the whole time and force himself to keep his eyes on the road.

She caught the glances thrown in her direction as he expertly drove through the streets, wanting to laugh as she watched him struggle to focus on not crashing into the vehicle in front.

The radio played in the background as they chatted, and Elizabeth recognized a song the moment it came on.

"Oh my gosh, the Beach Boys! I love them!" She threw her head back and sang along, her carefree voice floating through the air. She wasn't entirely on pitch - who was he kidding, she was almost completely off-tune - but her energy was palpably infectious and he didn't have the heart to tell her that she was most probably tone-deaf. So he joined in, belting out familiar tunes together.

It was a good 45 minutes before they reached their destination. By then, the sun had set and the sky was darkening with every passing minute.

Elizabeth linked her arm with Henry's and let him lead the way. Her eyes widened when she saw that they were eating at a French restaurant.

It was a vintage-style place, its interiors decorated with white-clothed tables and lit up by hanging chandeliers and candlelight.

"How ever did you manage to find this charming place, Henry? It's nowhere near UVA or home."

"It took a little exploring," he shrugged.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"And so is the food. I'm getting hungry thinking about it."

She chuckled. They got seated quickly, Henry having made a reservation earlier. They placed their orders several minutes later, and he was pleasantly surprised when the names of the food glided off Elizabeth's tongue in French like she had spoken the language all her life.

When the waiter left, Henry asked her where she learned to speak so fluently.

"Two semesters abroad in France when I was in boarding school," she grinned.

"Wow, that sounds fantastic!"

"It was! Not to mention the wine," she hummed, "Especially since the legal drinking age is much lower there."

"Oh I bet. How did you end up in boarding school?" Pain flashed in her eyes for a split second and she grew quiet. "Did I hit a nerve?" he asked gently.

"No, it's fine, it was a long time ago. I, uh, lost my parents when I was 15. My relatives didn't welcome the addition to their family, so they sent my brother and me to boarding school."

He reached out and took her hands between his. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up."

"It's okay, you didn't know," she shrugged, attempting a smile, "Tell me about your family."

"Well, you know Stevie and Alison. I have two sisters, Maureen and Erin, and a brother, Shane. My mom passed away 3 years ago, but my dad's still around. We don't see eye to eye on everything but it's family."

She chuckled. "Aside from Jason, my brother's my only family and he'd still find some way to annoy me."

"That's what siblings are for, aren't they," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Definitely."

Just then, the food arrived and her face instantly lit up at the sight before her. Henry was right - the meal had her humming in delight with almost every bite.

Dinner was a splendid affair as they shared their childhood experiences while they dug in, but mostly communicating through the looks they gave each other. She told him of her time at the horse farm, while he talked about growing up in Pittsburgh. The ambience was certainly a plus for the occasion, and they found themselves trapped in their own bubble despite the crowd the place attracted on that Friday night.

As they took the last bite of their main course, dessert was served. Having eaten so much, they only had enough space in their systems to share a serving of chocolate mousse. Henry grabbed the spoon and offered a bite of it to her, which she happily took into her mouth.

"Mm," she moaned, "The chocolate is so rich."

"I know right? Ah, you missed a spot."

"Whoops." Her tongue darted out and licked the corner of her mouth. He stared at her lips, wanting to kiss her now more than ever. "Is it better?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah," he smiled.

Henry insisted on paying for the meal when they finished but Elizabeth was adamant about paying for her share, so they ended up splitting the bill.

Elizabeth shivered as they stepped out into the streets, quiet except for the rustling of dry fallen leaves and the occasional sound of a car passing by in the vicinity. She hoped he had something else in mind, not wanting the night to end just yet.

"Wanna take a walk? There's a park nearby."

"Sure," she answered, glad that she was spending more time with him.

She snuggled into his side, craving his warmth when his arm wound around her waist and pulled her close. Their stroll to the park was a short one as they enjoyed each other's company in comfortable silence.

Approaching the center of the park, they were welcomed by a fountain and a small field of flowers surrounding it. It was a quiet part of town, and they were the only people there.

"Henry McCord, you are full of surprises," she murmured. "I used to come here with my parents and Will, and we'd enjoy the garden during all 4 seasons of the year. It's beautiful."

"You like it?"

"Are you kidding? I love it."

They took their time admiring the flowers, their beauty not lost to darkness as street lamps lit up the area. Elizabeth was surprised when Henry managed to identify the different floral species, something even she had difficulty doing despite growing a few of them at home. She'd have to ask him about it another time.

As time passed, Henry only got more and more antsy about kissing her. They ended up walking around the fountain to get a full view of the riot of colors.

"I really enjoyed today, Henry. Thank you," she grinned.

"Me too."

He suddenly decided it was now or never. He stopped and tugged on her hand, causing her to turn around.

"Henry?"

He moved closer to her, taking both her hands in his and leaning his forehead against hers. Her breathing picked up.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered huskily.

She didn't reply, simply closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips moved against his, tenderly, sweetly, then gradually increasing in fervor. He pulled her further into his embrace when she deepened the kiss, and his arms tightened around her, wanting to hold her close. She mewled just as he took her lower lip between his teeth and sucked gently.

They pulled apart when they needed air, seconds ticking by as they willed their breathing to slow down.

"Wow," he said, his voice barely audible.

"That's an understatement," she giggled, "You taste like dinner."

He chuckled. "Shall we…?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They returned to his car hand in hand, giddily happy about how the night turned out to be. Even with lighter traffic on the way home, Henry's eyes refused to leave the road, being the responsible driver he was, but not without slipping a few times. He felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, knowing that she felt for him the way he did for her.

He pulled up on her street nearly an hour later and killed the engine.

"I really enjoyed being with you today, Elizabeth. Thank you."

"Thank _you_ for asking me out. I enjoyed myself too. So...see you on Monday?" She bit down on her lip, trying to hide her wide grin.

He almost groaned when she did that. It only made her look more irresistible. "I'm looking forward to it." He leaned over and softly pecked her lips. "Goodnight, and sweet dreams."

"I'll definitely be having good dreams tonight. Goodnight, Henry. Sleep well."

She exited his car and walked towards her door. But just before she stepped into her house, she turned around to blow him a kiss and he placed his fingers on his lips to receive it.

That day, he drove home feeling happier than he'd ever been.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hey how's everyone's day going! I've been busy with school (can you believe I'm barely into the semester and already swamped with work because I can't). I'm trying to keep up my writing so I appreciate your patience with me! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter :) Leave me reviews, pretty please? They make my day so much better :) Anyway, I hope everyone has a good weekend!

* * *

Elizabeth had a restless weekend. Not being able to meet Henry after having had such a wonderful date was nearly torturous. He occupied her thoughts, and she found herself smiling at the mere memory of that night. Jason just found his mom weirder than usual.

Unable to sit still, she spent her time with her horses, especially since it had been a while since she took Buttercup out for a ride. It was exhilarating to feel the wind running through her hair and the horse's gallop beneath her. Mucking the stalls also took her mind off things and she was grateful that time seemed to pass faster as she surrounded herself in the environment she grew up in.

On Monday morning, Henry arrived early, reaching her street just as Jason got onto the school bus. Once it left, he parked into her driveway and got out of his car. She appeared at the door right before he could knock.

She grinned when she saw him "Hey, you're a sight for sore eyes. You just missed Jason. He was having one of his moments earlier on." She rolled her eyes.

"Good morning." He wrapped an arm around her middle and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. She melted under his touch, her cheeks a rosy pink when he pulled away.

"Mm, made my morning all better. You sure know how to greet a girl."

He chuckled. "Let's go, or else we'll never beat the morning traffic."

Mondays were perhaps the worst day of the week. New lectures to plan, new materials to prepare and admin work to do - the work piled up before staff members even stepped into their office.

Henry sighed when he saw the noticeable stack of documents on his desk. He didn't exactly hate his job, just the parts that didn't have much to do with his area of expertise.

He was starting to miss Elizabeth already.

* * *

At twelve noon, he'd barely left a dent in the stack. It had been a busy morning with two lectures and a meeting, which left him running all over the place. He removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Deciding he needed a coffee, he got up to grab a quick cup of caffeine from the cafe nearby and almost bumped into Elizabeth the moment he opened the door.

"Oh, Henry! Are you going somewhere? I know Mondays can get really busy, so I brought lunch and coffee." She gave him a lopsided grin.

He silently grabbed her arm and pulled her in before shutting the door.

"I realized I don't really know what you like to eat, so I just grabbed two sandwiches at the cafe. Which do you prefer - Italian or BLT?" She held up the two packages.

Oh, how he adores this woman. "I'm fine with both - why don't we have half of each?"

"Good idea." She handed him one of them and started unwrapping her own as she moved to sit on a chair nearby. But Henry had other ideas; he tugged her hand and pulled her onto his lap, casually slinging an arm around her waist. She tried to stand up but he simply wouldn't let her.

"Henry, I'm pretty sure I'm not _that_ light," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"You're fine." He buried his head into her shoulder and breathed in her scent, causing her to shiver. "Is it bad if I said that I missed you?"

He smiled against her skin when he felt her heart rate pick up. "No, not at all. I missed you too."

"Let's eat."

Elizabeth couldn't concentrate on the food, even though she had been looking forward to trying the sandwiches in school. All she could focus on was the feeling of him being so close to her. It had been a long time since she felt like this with a guy. Perhaps that was why Henry had such an effect on her, she thought.

They swapped sandwiches halfway and after taking a bite of the second sandwich, Elizabeth decided that they were probably equally good. She'd have to try them again another time, when she's not distracted by Henry's presence around her.

A small giggle erupted from her lips when she noticed that Henry had some sauce at the corner of his mouth, much like the time she had chocolate on hers during their first date. Without thinking, she leaned in and kissed it away, then realized what she did.

"You had some sauce there," she smirked.

"Oh, really? Or were you looking for an excuse to kiss me?" he teased.

She inched closer to him, her lips dangerously near his. "So what if I was?"

He captured her lips in a lingering kiss as his hand weaved into her golden locks, a soft moan building in her throat. When they broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder.

This whole kiss-after-a-meal thing seemed to be becoming a tradition - not that she minded.

"In that case, we should have more meals together," he said when she voiced her thought aloud.

"Now that you mention it, Jason's gaming with his buds at his friend's place this Friday. Up for another date? I'll cook." Or order in, she mentally added.

"Sounds great. We'll drive over to your place after work?"

She nodded. "Deal."

Suddenly, a few knocks sounded from the door.

"Dr McCord? Are you in?"

"I should go." She got up from his lap and did a quick stretch before packing up her things and tidying herself up. "Do I look okay?"

He tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "Perfect as ever."

"Dr McCord?"

"I gotta go. Bye." She pecked his cheek.

"Bye. Thanks for the lunch. See you later, babe."

 _Babe._ Her ears perked up. She loved it and the way he said it; it sent tingles down her spine. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it - Henry had already opened the door and welcomed the student in.

"Oh, hi, Dr Adams, I didn't know you were here."

"I had some questions I had to ask Dr McCord. I have a class in a couple of minutes, so I'll make a move. Have a nice day."

"Thanks, Dr Adams. Same to you too!" The student waved at her briefly as Henry watched her figure disappear into the crowds before shutting the door and starting the consultation.

It was going to be a long afternoon.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** You guys are _amazing_! Thank you so much for all the reviews that you guys have been leaving! I absolutely love reading them (and I've read them multiple times, hah). Here's the new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy! :)

* * *

"Make yourself at home." Elizabeth tossed her keys into a dish on the counter, switching her heels for something more comfortable. Henry followed in behind her and helped her out of her coat as they entered the foyer. "Thanks," she beamed.

"So what's for dinner, Chef Adams?"

"Vegetable quiche!"

She came across a recipe online and the instructions seemed easy enough to follow - sauté the ingredients, then bake. She tried not to cringe when the memory of salty scrambled eggs came rushing back into her mind. Pushing the thoughts away, she got down to work, retrieving the ingredients from her fridge.

"Need any help?"

"Oh, uh, I should be okay, I think. Thanks for offering." She flashed a smile.

"Alright." He hung around the kitchen, unsure of what to do. Looking around, he decided that he liked her place. It was open and spacious, and its blue and white interiors were soothing to the eyes. It held a glimpse into her life as pictures and books decorated shelves and countertops. "You have a beautiful home. It's very... _you_ ," he said, unable to find a better phrase or word.

"Thank you. It's where I grew up in. But I have to say, it's even better with you here," she flirted. She turned on the stove and placed a pan on it once she was done rinsing the vegetables.

" _Woah, be careful_!" He jumped in and stopped her hand just when she was about to drop the butter in. Grabbing a kitchen towel, he wiped the pan dry, then plopped the butter in.

"Never put butter in a wet heated pan, or oil for that matter. It'll start splattering everywhere and you might hurt yourself. And start with a small fire, or else the food will burn."

"Whoops?" She offered him a sheepish grin, though her brows furrowed slightly.

"Sorry if I startled you." He wrapped an arm around her and gently rubbed her side, pressing a kiss to her temple. "One can never be too careful in the kitchen. Do you have the recipe? I'll take over."

"Yeah." She dug around her bag for the slip of paper she'd written the instructions on and passed it to him. "Sorry about this, I can't really cook," she chuckled nervously, leaning against the kitchen island.

"Don't worry about it." He added the vegetables to the pan and expertly sautéed them.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Maybe you can grease the dishes? Just a teaspoon of oil for each dish will do."

"That, I won't mess up," she winked.

They split up the tasks between them, allowing Elizabeth to help without the risk of burning the house down. She eventually revealed all her culinary mishaps, from burnt ceilings to extremely soggy pasta, and they spent the time laughing til their stomachs hurt.

When he found more ingredients in the fridge, he started whipping up dessert while the quiches baked in the oven. She sat at one end of the kitchen island and watched him move about with ease, unable to resist a smile when she noticed how he looked like he belonged there.

He popped the ice-cream cake into the fridge just as the oven dinged and once the quiches cooled, dinner was served.

Elizabeth snuggled into his side as they ate off their laps while watching TV, humming when the first bite hit her tastebuds.

"This is amazing, Henry. I will never understand how you make it look so easy."

"I just followed the recipe you gave me," he replied humbly. "I have an honest question - if you don't cook, then where do you get your home-cooked meals from?"

"That would be Jace. He knows I tend to skip my meals when I'm busy so if he feels like it, he'll prepare a meal or two. I sound like an awful mother," she laughed.

"Well, at least he doesn't burn the house down," he joked, earning him a smack to his chest. "Ow."

"Shut up and eat your quiche."

The dishes were soon emptied and Elizabeth offered to get the dessert, gasping in delight when she saw that it was ice-cream cake.

"You made ice-cream cake? Two of my favorite things in one dessert!"

"Weren't you watching me make it just now?" he asked, amused.

"Uh…" Her voice trailed off. If she had to be honest, she was watching him, rather than what he was doing. Henry turned around to face her and watched her cheeks grow a light pink before letting it drop.

He rested an arm on her shoulder when she came back to the couch with two spoons and the cake in hand. They ate until they couldn't stuff their stomachs with anymore food and placed the remainder of it in the fridge for Jason.

Elizabeth playfully sneaked up behind the couch and swiped her chocolate-coated finger on his nose before running away, giggling.

"Adams, you are trouble!" he exclaimed, jumping up to chase her.

She was fast and had the advantage of being in a place familiar to her but he finally caught her around the waist back in the living room. He held her against him while she laughed breathlessly at their small game of catch. He turned her around to face her, keeping her secure in his arms.

"Dr Adams, are you 4 years old?" he asked, faking incredulity.

"Maybe," she grinned, "You still have that thing on your nose."

"It's your fault it got there in the first place, so you have to get it off."

She tiptoed on her feet and kissed it away. "There, all gone."

"Good. Play time's over, Professor, time to do the dishes."

They washed the dishes together by the sink, splashing soapy water and bumping hips as they took turns washing and rinsing their utensils. Elizabeth poked her head out when she heard the front door click shut.

"Jason? Is that you? I thought you were playing video games at your friend's."

"Hey Mom, I just forgot to bring one of my gamesー Who's this?" His eyes scanned Henry from top to bottom, narrowing slightly in suspicion.

Henry and Elizabeth shared a look. "Dr McCord's a colleague, he teaches Theology at work," she replied. She hadn't mentioned to Jason that she was dating Henry, not knowing how he'd react.

He relaxed. "Oh, what's he here for? You guys on a date or something?" he asked, jokingly.

"Well, Jace, actually…"

"Wait, you're dating him?" he snorted.

"I wanted to tell you soon but I wasn't sー"

"Just do what the hell you want. I can't believe you'd trust a guy after the whole thing with Dad happened. Y'know what, I don't care, whatever," he rambled, "I'm outta here, don't bother coming after me." Grabbing what he needed, he briskly strode to the door.

"Jace, I didn't mean toー" The front door loudly slammed shut and the whole house fell silent.

Elizabeth choked out a breath as she sank into the stool nearby. "I- I'm so sorry you had to see that, Henry."

He walked over and rubbed her back. "Why don't you text him?" he asked gently.

She gave a defeated laugh. "He'll just ignore it."

"How about his friends?"

She dug through her bag for her phone and searched her contacts for a familiar name, her fingers rapidly tapping the screen.

 _Hey Josh, Jason's mom here. Is he at your place?_

"Now, we wait," she sighed, chucking her phone on the table. "I'm really sorry about how things turned out today. I was worried he'd react like this if I told him."

"Babe, it's okay, I understand. It's normal for Jason to react this way, especially if he had issues with his dad."

"Really? Because he was pretty awful, I mean he's a good kid, usually, butー"

"It's okay," he repeated, pulling her into a hug and running his hands along her back. " And just so you know, I'm not going anywhere." Curiosity tugged at his mind at Jason's mention of Elizabeth's ex-husband, but he'd have to ask her another time.

Some tension left her body as he held her. "Thank you, Henry." She buried her head into his shoulder and tightened her arms around him.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She tore away and picked up her phone to read the incoming message. Her shoulders sagged, partly relieved, partly disappointed.

 _Hi Mrs Adams, he's here. He said he's staying over for the night._

She replied, acknowledging that she'd received the message and thanked him.

"What did he say?" Henry asked.

She sighed. "Jace is staying over at his friend's tonight." She absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair, wondering how the night turned out to be so disastrous. "Am I a bad mother?" she whispered.

"No, you're not. This will take time, and you're certainly not at fault, no one is."

"Alright." Her eyes fluttered close momentarily as fatigue crept over her.

Henry felt bad that she was going to spend the night alone at home and there was no way he'd leave at this point. Well, provided she allows him to stay. "So, um, would you like me to stay over?"

"I don't know, Henry…"

"Only if you need someone to snuggle with...no funny business, I swear." He held his hands up.

A small smile inched its way onto her lips. "That would be lovely."

* * *

She pulled out an old UVA sweatshirt and a pair of old pajama pants for him, both of which were oversized for her. She had to hold back a laugh when her old pants came up to his calves when he wore it.

"They kinda fit, sorta," he said unconvincingly as he emerged from her bathroom.

"Totally," she smirked.

He climbed into bed after her, not knowing which side she usually slept on. As he settled closer to her, he carefully draped an arm around her and she responded by closing the distance between them, tucking her head into his shoulder.

"I'll leave bright and early in the morning, before Jason comes back."

"Oh." She was reluctant to let him leave so soon, but she knew that Jason would violently protest if he saw that Henry stayed over. She would have to talk to him when he comes home, she thought. "Does Stevie and Alison know about this?" she whispered, half-excited, half-worried to know what they thought of her.

"I told them about it from the very beginning."

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. "And…?"

"They think you're lovely and they want to meet you soon." It was dark but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you should come over soon. They'd love to meet the mystery woman I've been dating," he chuckled.

Before she could utter a response, a yawn escaped her lips. Despite the tiring week, all she wanted to do was spend more waking hours with Henry but it was evident that she couldn't put off sleep any longer.

"Babe, you need to rest."

This time, she didn't fight it, letting the wave of exhaustion wash over her. "Mm, 'kay."

"Goodnight." He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Henry," she mumbled, finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Uh-oh, trouble in paradise! Thank you to Henry (aka TeamElizabethMcCord) for doing the final check! :) Let me know what you think! Reviews fuel my fire to write :D Hope everyone has a great day!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hey! How's everyone doing? Thank you so much for all the reviews you guys leave! It's beyond _amazing_ and I've read your lovely comments so many times by now, hah! This is a relatively short chapter, more filler/plotless than anything, but I hope you guys enjoy it! :)

* * *

He woke up to her soft snores, glad that they remained tangled together throughout the night - her legs were entwined with his, his arms wrapped around her. He gently ran his fingers up and down the curves of her spine, admiring her sleeping form. She was peaceful, her body free of any tension.

He lost track of time staring at her, wrapped up in bliss. The corners of his lips curved into a smile when she moved closer to him and murmured something that sounded like his name in her slumber. He wanted to spend more time with her but he could no longer ignore the light that spilled into the room, indicating the start of another day, and he had promised that he would leave before Jason came home.

Carefully, he pressed a kiss to her hair and extricated himself from her embrace, then climbed out of bed to prepare for the day.

* * *

Consciousness slowly seeped into her mind. Her hands roamed the other side of the bed, expecting to meet some warmth but only encountering cold sheets. She vaguely remembered that it was Saturday and that she could sleep in. Looking at the clock on her night stand, the numbers indicated that it was only 8-something in the morning so she pulled the duvet over her head, needing to chase away the cold. Suddenly, last night's events came rushing into her mind. Her eyes fluttered open again, confirming that Henry had already left and in his place, she found a note addressed to her.

 _Babe, I left earlier, as promised. If you need me, I'm just a call away. Hope everything goes well with Jason._

 _xoxo, Henry_

 _P.S.: I made breakfast for you._

She dragged herself out of bed and freshened up. When she decided that she looked decent, she walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the smell of breakfast, just as Henry had said in his note. There was the familiar bitter scent of coffee in the air and as she glanced across the kitchen counter...pancakes!

A stack of them sat on a plate near the stove, still a little warm to the touch. She immediately hunted down butter and maple syrup, slathering a generous amount on the golden surface. Taking a good sniff, she hungrily dug in and oh, was it _good._

It was buttery and fluffy and just moist enough for it to melt in her mouth. She moaned appreciatively, savoring every bite of it until nothing was left. They were probably the best pancakes she had ever eaten in her life.

She probably wouldn't believe it if Henry told her he wasn't a mind-reader. So far, he had managed to bring her to places that offered her favorite food, or simply cooked them for her, and it has been one hell of a gastronomical journey.

The front door clicked shut just as she picked up the newspapers to read while sipping on coffee. She placed the papers and mug down and peered around the corner.

"Jason?"

He grunted, dumping his backpack along the corridor before walking into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Have you had breakfast?" she asked, keeping her tone light.

"Yeah," he answered, his voice clipped; he was still mad. "I'm going to my room."

"Jace, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it earlierー"

"Oh, really?" he said sarcastically.

"Yes, I am. I know things between us and your...dad didn't end well but Henry's different. He really is."

He snorted. "He's not my dad, he's a psycho nutsack. I can't believe you still trust guys after _him_." He spoke of his dad with such contempt, it shocked her.

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" Elizabeth was confused; she wasn't aware that Jason knew of his parents' marital problems when he was younger. She tried her best to give him a normal childhood but as it turns out, it didn't do much to shield him from reality.

"Never mind, I said too much." He immediately turned away and headed to his room.

"Jace, wait!" She followed him but met with a locked door. She rapped on it loudly. When there was no response, she stayed outside. "Jason! I'm not done talking to you. You're grounded for a week!"

This time, he opened the door. "What?!"

"You heard me, school and back for a week."

" _Why_!" he demanded.

"You have every reason to be mad at me, but running out like that scared the hell out of me. Promise me you won't do it again."

"Yeah, right, whatever." He slammed the door shut in her face, causing her to flinch. It was obvious that he wasn't going to calm down any time soon, so she returned to the kitchen to finish her coffee, sighing as she picked up her phone to thank Henry for the meal at the same time.

 _Good morning, handsome. Thank you for the amazing breakfast, I loved it. Sorry I wasn't up early enough to see you off. xoxo_

Muted sounds came from Jason's room, just audible enough for her to hear. He was probably playing his PSP to blow off some steam. Well, at least he had some sort of coping tradition. Her phone buzzed a minute later.

 _Hey beautiful ;) you're welcome, and don't worry about it. How did it go with Jason? Is he home?_

Even when she was feeling down, he managed to make her heart flutter. She relayed that morning's events to him through text and Henry being, well, Henry, he showed nothing short of understanding and sympathy.

Although they just saw each other hours ago, she was already longing for the work week to start again.

* * *

Jason's anger and irritation didn't dissipate over the weekend, despite Elizabeth's attempts to make a conversation with him. Every time she said something, he merely gave her non-committal replies. Teenage hormones were definitely not to be taken lightly, she thought. She gave up on Sunday night, only talking to him when it was time for dinner.

When Monday approached, she was grateful that he was going to school; she was hoping his friends would somehow manage to calm him down.

Henry arrived at her doorstep promptly that morning, just like every other day. They had been texting over the weekend about the date, about Jason and Henry's girls - about pretty much anything - and she couldn't be happier to see him there.

"Hey," she grinned.

"Hey, c'mere." He held his arms open, inviting her into his embrace. She couldn't decline, and allowed herself to sink into his body as she wound her arms around his torso. "I'm sorry about Jason."

" _I'_ m sorry 'bout Jason. He shouldn't have burst out like that when you were there," she sighed.

He pulled away slightly and kissed her temple. "It's not on you, maybe it was just a bad timing for me to be there."

"Henry McCord, don't you dare blame yourself. This isn't on you either. Who would've thought that he had so much anger in him?"

He chuckled as they broke apart, pressing another chaste kiss to her cheek. "Let's go, or we'll be late."

"Let's."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope this sorta makes up for a msec-less month! Just another weekend to go til they're back! Let me know what you guys think? :) Have a great Sunday!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hey guys! Finally got down to chapter 9. I truly apologize for the huge delay, it's been an insane semester at school. I'm only left with one exam, so I managed to finish this! Went in circles and scrapped this multiple times before I was kinda satisfied with it. Huge thank you to Reka and Henry for being my trusty betas, and huge thank you to everyone who's been leaving such lovely reviews despite my inactivity! I hope this does justice to the wait. Alrighty, enough rambling from me. I hope you guys enjoy this, and as always, reviews are highly appreciated! Have a great weekend! :)

* * *

"Hey, did you hear about McCord andー" Whatever it was Linda wanted to say, her words tumbled into silence the moment Elizabeth walked into the pantry.

It wasn't the first time she heard a conversation dropped whenever she or Henry walked into a room. In fact, it's been going on for a few days. It didn't particularly bother her, but it did make her curious ー and amused ー about what her colleagues were talking about that concerned her or Henry. She had her guesses, but she never dwelled too much on them; she was never one for the office gossip.

Elizabeth greeted her colleagues as she pressed a couple of buttons on the communal coffee machine. "How's work going?"

"Oh, y'know, slow as per usual," Linda replied, waving her hand dismissively, as if to dispel remnants of the previous conversation. The professor beside her ー what was her name again? Amy? ー simply nodded. "How about you?"

"Same. Sluggish kinda day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, lots of administrative work to do."

"Ah, a sign that the end of the semester is approaching," Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, I have some stuff to wrap up for today. See you guys later." Grabbing her coffee, she waved goodbye to her colleagues before escaping into the confines of her office until the work day ended.

At home, Jason was talking to her again. In fact, he was talking about everything ー school, his friends, the games he was playing. But whenever she tried to get him to open up to her about his dad, he'd immediately switch subjects, speaking in an overly enthusiastic tone. She tried everything Henry suggested but to no avail, so she eventually stopped bringing it up.

Henry, on the other hand, constantly heard his colleagues talk about Elizabeth, and he couldn't help but feel a tinge of anger whenever they did.

"Isn't Adams divorced or something? She doesn't have a ring on her hands or stuff like that," Kenton remarked. There was something Henry didn't like about the way he'd said it; he wasn't sure if it was that glint his eyes or the hopefulness in his voice or even something else. He wasn't one who to get easily irritated, but he felt annoyed in this particular instance.

"Yeah, she seems unmarried," Rob added. "Man, she's attractive, and I heard that her lectures are crazy good or something. Her courses are flooded with students."

 _Another_ person, seriously? He tapped his fingers against the porcelain mug he held mindlessly, lost in his thoughts.

"What do you think, McCord?"

Rob's voice brought him back to reality. "Oh, uh, I dunno, she's probably unmarried but she seems attached," he shrugged. He wanted to get out of this conversation badly.

"Damn. Well, a guy can still try, right?"

That was it, Henry couldn't stand it anymore. "Sorry, guys, I have some papers to grade. I'll talk to you guys later."

He retreated into his office, sinking into the comfort of his chair as took his glasses off to massage the bridge of his nose. She was _his_. Well, not officially, not yet. But close enough.

The conversation made him want to see her more, despite having spent his coffee break with her just minutes before he bumped into his colleagues.

Getting up, he moved towards his desk to complete the rest of the day's work.

* * *

Alison and Stevie observed their dad carefully, sharing looks over the dining table as he focused on his own food. The stark difference from his usual self worried them. Unable to stand the silence any longer, Stevie cleared her throat.

"So, how's work going?"

"The usual. Semester's coming to an end so we're just wrapping up some stuff." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. It was like his mind was somewhere else.

"And how's it going with mystery lady?" Alison asked. Stevie kicked her under the table and Alison yelped softly. "What?" she whispered furiously, "I'm just concerned."

Henry, however, was oblivious to their exchange. His face instantly softened, a wider smile gracing his lips at the mention of Elizabeth. "Good. Really good, actually. And for the record, her name's Elizabeth," he chuckled.

Alison shot daggers at her sister and Stevie resisted the urge to kick her again. "That's a really pretty name."

"Believe me, she's a lot more beautiful than her name, and even more so on the inside."

"So what's wrong?"

He shook his head; Stevie was always such an intuitive child. "Nothing."

"Dad, you know you can tell us anything, right?" Alison prompted.

He shook his head again. It felt ridiculous to tell his daughters about his encounter with his colleagues and their conversations about Elizabeth. No, it was something personal, not to mention completely trivial. He chided himself internally for even letting it affect him.

He'd have to talk to her about it soon, he thought.

* * *

"Aren't you dressed nicely today?" she mused, when he arrived at her doorstep on Thursday that week. She surveyed his black and white work attire. "What's the occasion?"

"It's a secret," he winked.

"Seriously, McCord? Do you want me to use my CIA skills on you?" she joked. Moving closer, she fiddled with his tie, straightening it gently and he revelled in the domesticity of the moment.

"I wouldn't dare," he mocked a gasp. "I was just kidding, I just felt like wearing something nicer."

She grinned as they got into the car, appreciating his fit figure while she could.

"I got something for you," he said, presenting her with a bouquet of peonies with sprigs of baby's breath.

Her heart melted as she took the flowers and leaned over to peck his cheek. "This is so sweet. Thank you, Henry." A beautiful smile crept up her face as she fingered the petals and he involuntarily mirrored it. Suddenly, she groaned. "I'm gonna be spoiled by you very soon if you continue doing this."

He laughed. "I enjoy spoiling you, so expect to be spoiled," he winked.

That day, the university staff members were all engaged in invigilating exams and ensuring everything ran smoothly. Exhausted students crawled into examination halls, cramming as much information as they could into their already saturated brains at the last minute, praying it will somehow aid them in their grades. Elizabeth chuckled as she watched her students reluctantly place their notes in their bags before taking their seats. It reminded her of her own college days, the same cycles of studying for finals and the relief of finishing them after. Despite their worried faces, she was confident that her students could score well as long as they paid attention to her classes.

"Settle down everyone..."

* * *

When the paper ended, she collected and piled the papers in their respective stacks which were waiting to be graded later that week. At a glance, most of them gave pretty well-written answers and she was looking forward to reading all of them. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, then heard a familiar voice.

"Professor Adams, I have a question I wanna ask…"

"Henry," she chuckled, "You nearly scared me there for a moment."

He grinned at her reaction and pecked her lightly on her lips, sending her heart into a small frenzy. "Hey there. Lunch?"

"Sounds good. Let me just pack things up here."

He picked up her backpack as she gathered the stacks of papers into a separate bag. They made their way to her office to drop off the materials before grabbing two sandwiches to eat at the secluded garden they frequented.

They gravitated towards each other as they munched on their sandwiches in comfortable silence. Until Henry brought up the topic he's been meaning to talk about.

"Y'know, I've, um, overheard some of our colleagues talkingー"

"ーabout us?" She completed his sentence, leaving him staring at her with his mouth slightly open.

"How did you know?"

"Linda and some other lady colleague mentioned our names or something in their conversation as well. I figured the same thing was happening on your end. What did your colleagues talk about?"

"Uhm, you don't wanna know." He shuddered involuntarily as the conversation he had from days ago replayed in his mind.

"Oh." She looked at him quizzically before letting it drop. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Well, we've been spending a lot of time together," he smiled sheepishly at her.

"We have," she confirmed, laughing. "Lots and lots of time."

"That's for sure."

She turned to him to look him in the eye. "I just wanna be sure about one thing, though. Y'know, before I tell others that we'reー"

"I'm all in."

"ーtogether. Wait, what?"

"I said I'm all in," he said, reaching out to intertwine their fingers together. She returned a smile, ecstatic that he was as into her as she was into him.

Glancing down at her watch, she realized the next paper was starting soon. "Well, in any case, boyfriend, I have to get back to work before someone starts gossipping about us again," she grinned.

"Alright, girlfriend, see you later?"

"As always," she moved in and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "Bye, babe."

He waved her goodbye and watched as her figure disappeared around the corner.

Just then, she saw a dark figure move from the corners of her eyes. She turned around to look, but no one was there other than Henry, who was packing up to leave as well. It was odd; she definitely felt like someone was watching her. Dismissing the thought, she continued walking back to her office with thoughts of the next exam in her mind.

Yet some part of her knew, for sure, that they weren't alone.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I know, I know, I'm horrible for not updating for so long. I'm really, really sorry. Life happened. Summer semester's been busy, and my only free weekend didn't turn out to be as free as I thought it would be. I'M SORRY (please forgive me). I had contemplated making this a super long chapter, but it turned out to be REALLY long and I haven't even completed part two of it. I swear, I'll try my best to get it done ASAP. It's already in the works! So yes. Okay, enough of my rambling. I hope you guys enjoy this! And it would _really_ make my day if you guys leave a review! :) Til next time~!

* * *

Specks of red and gold covered the streets as Christmas approached. Buildings were lined with twinkling lights and ornaments that spoke of the festive season, and the weather pointed at a possible white Christmas as temperatures dropped rapidly during the month. Students were on break for the end of year celebrations, leaving families free to enjoy some time together. It was, also, the first time that the McCords and the Adams would be sharing a meal.

Elizabeth and Jason arrived at the McCords' residence on the evening of Christmas eve, donned in winter coats as their ears and noses turned as red as the holiday lights surrounding them. Jason hung around behind his mother, playing the unwilling party in the Christmas get-together. Jogging to the door, her fingers quickly jabbed the doorbell before she shoved her hands back into her coat pockets, grasping onto any warmth she could get in the dreary winter night.

Stevie appeared at the door in an apron and her hair in a topknot just a moment later. "Hi! Come in!" She ushered them into the very much needed cosiness. "Geez it's freezing outside."

"Thanks, Stevie." The Adams shrugged out of their coats and hung them by the door before spotting the rest of the McCord family busying themselves with dinner preparation in the kitchen. They greeted each other cheerfully, except Jason, who chose to stay silent.

Looking around, the now familiar wood furnishings were adorned with garlands and baubles. Popcorn strings made its debut in the McCords' household as well, ever since Elizabeth mentioned her love for them.

"Jason, this is Alison and Stevie," Elizabeth introduced them, and the two girls waved towards him friendlily as they settled into the living room.

He grunted in acknowledgement, tilting his head in a curt nod before uttering a barely audible 'hi'. Elizabeth felt frustration rising within her; she knew he would react this way, but she had wanted so badly for the first meeting to work out. She brushed the thought aside, grateful that Jason somewhat acknowledged them at least. She wasn't going to let something this minor affect Christmas.

She left them to socialize - or rather, try to socialize.

She had gotten acquainted with Henry's daughters during one of their dates at his place, and the girls had walked in on them making out on his couch, which was definitely not the most ideal situation to be found in. The movie Ali and Stevie had wanted to watch happened to be available at an earlier timing so they managed to get home before 9 that night, only to find their dad and his girlfriend engaged in certain activities. They sprung apart, straightening their clothes before formal introductions were made. Elizabeth was thankful that they did not think any lesser of her but instead, found it amusing and certainly an inside joke to remember. During that first meeting, it quickly became evident why Henry was so ridiculously smitten with her, and the girls were glad to finally get to know the person their dad was dating.

Elizabeth slipped into the kitchen in search of her boyfriend and found him checking on the turkey in the oven.

"Hey," she greeted, "how's the turkey going?"

He turned to her and briefly kissed her. "Great, just a while more. How's Jason and the girls getting along?"

She peered around the corner and caught Jason staring at them with his brows furrowed. When his eyes met hers, he turned away, the frown almost a permanent fixture on his face. Ali and Stevie were clearly trying to make some conversation with him, but he wasn't particularly receptive to any of their attempts.

"Well…" her voice trailed off, worry briefly covering her features.

"He'll have to warm up to us, sooner or later." I hope, he added mentally. He lightly brushed his fingers along her cheek to reassure her and she smiled in response.

Just then, the oven dinged. They broke apart and Henry grabbed his oven mitts to carry the turkey out, its fragrance quickly filling the room. "Dinner's ready!" he called out.

Elizabeth helped set the table as Ali and Stevie bounded towards the dinner table. Jason remained unmoving in the living room, his face a passive mask. Elizabeth approached him and sat beside him.

"Jason, it's time for dinner," she said softly.

"I know, I heard him. I just don't wanna."

"Jason."

"Look, I don't get why you're trying so hard to make me like him. He's a complete stranger to me." He turned away from her.

"Then start getting to know him," she asserted, reaching out to place a hand on his crossed arms. "I don't know what you know about your dad and I, but Henry's not your dad, he's different and nice...and I like him. I get that you don't wanna be here today, but all I'm asking is that you try to be nice. Ali and Stevie have been incredibly good-natured towards you, you should at least be more friendly to them, got that?"

"Yeah, whatever." He pulled away a little too harshly for her liking and shuffled over to where the McCords were seated. Elizabeth trailed behind him and shot Henry a sheepish smile when their eyes met.

The table was graced by the day's worth of Henry's cooking, which greatly resembled a feast for a much larger group of people, instead of the five people that were ready to lunge at the food. Even Jason couldn't hide the emptiness that plagued his stomach and the hungry glint in his eyes as he looked at the heap before him.

"Smells good, dad!" Stevie said, taking a good whiff of the dishes. "One problem though - how are we going to finish everything?"

Everyone burst out in laughter. "One of the best things about Christmas is the leftovers, honey," he winked. "Dig in!"

Once dinner was done, Elizabeth offered to wash up the dishes with Henry, but he refused to let her do anything. With a kiss, he chased her out of the kitchen to start the gift-opening with the kids. He was definitely spoiling her too much, she thought amusedly.

Elizabeth had gotten Jason a couple of Xbox games, Ali a Fashionary planner and Stevie a moleskine planner. Her gift for Henry would have to wait until they were alone. Jason had gotten his mom a simple pair of earrings, while Ali and Stevie pooled their resources to get their dad and Elizabeth customized sweatshirts.

The girls squealed in delight as they opened their gifts, especially Alison, who had been saving up to get the planner. They threw their arms around Elizabeth, thanking her for the presents.

Jason felt something claw at his chest at the sight of them hugging, like they were already a family. Whether it was jealousy or merely annoyance, he couldn't quite tell, but he was definitely sure that he didn't want to be there. He fought the urge to get up and leave; he would if it weren't for his mom. It was becoming clear that Henry and his family truly made her happy and as much as he didn't want to deal with a potential new dad, he wanted to see his mom smiling again, especially after his parents' messy divorce.

Once the trio broke apart, Elizabeth gave Jason his gift. Although not as expressive, he was equally delighted at the sight of his favorite games after eyeing them at the game store for months. He then picked up the gift he got for his mom and handed it to her.

"What is this?" she said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Just open it."

She gave the box a gentle shake before starting on the wrapping paper. When she saw the gift inside, she pulled him over and kissed his hair. "Thanks Jace, I love it."

He grunted in response, being less than fond of any outward display of affection. Just then, the doorbell went off.

A confused look crossed Henry's face as he popped his head out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Is anyone joining us tonight?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not that I know of. I'll get it."

When he opened the door, he nearly groaned aloud.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE life has been busy, school's been going on almost non-stop, and my knitting hobby got the better of me SO HERE'S A LONG CHAPTER! And since it's finally September it'll probably feel a little less weird to be reading about Christmas. Thank you SO much for all the lovely reviews that you guys have been leaving! I really can't thank you guys enough and I appreciate every single comment you guys left on this fic. I've only proofread it once so I apologize if there's any mistakes. Regardless, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Enjoy and let me know what you guys think! xx

* * *

"Henry," his guests greeted.

"Maureen, Dad," he replied curtly, carefully keeping his face void of expression. Their visit caught him off guard, to say the least.

Elizabeth's voice rang from behind before she appeared beside him. "Who is it?"

"Elizabeth, this is my sister Maureen and my dad Patrick." Henry wound a protective arm around her, watching his family's reactions. "Maureen, Dad, this is Elizabeth."

Maureen regarded her skeptically, her brows narrowing the slightest bit before she carefully rearranged her features into a smile. Henry knew what she was thinking and tightened his hold around Elizabeth. "Nice to meet you, Elizabeth."

"Same to you, Maureen. Henry's told me a lot about your family. It's lovely to finally meet you guys."

"I could say the same," Maureen smiled sweetly - a little too sweet for Henry's liking.

"Are you guys in town to visit Henry?"

"Oh, yes, my dear brother told us he wasn't visiting us this Christmas so we decided to come visit him instead. I hope we weren't interrupting anything."

"No, not at all! Come in!" She turned to Henry. "I'll tell Jason your family's here." She slipped into the living room ahead of the McCords and briefly introduced them to him just as they walked in.

"Are you and Dad staying for long?" Henry asked, as he helped them out of their coats.

"Couple of days, I guess. New girlfriend, huh?"

Irritation sparked at his sister's mention of Elizabeth. Ignoring her question, he asked if they had a place to stay.

"We're staying at an inn nearby," she waved her hand dismissively.

While he almost hated the idea of them staying with him, they were still family. "We have a spare room upstairs. Maybe you guys could stay here…?" His mind was screaming at him to do otherwise, to just entertain them for the evening and send them out of his door for the night, but he brushed the thought aside.

"That would be great. C'mon, Dad, let's grab our bags."

Henry almost retracted his invitation immediately, quite certain that his family's presence under the same roof meant a potential disaster. But he held his tongue, knowing that any mildly hostile remark could instantly turn into a huge storm.

He joined the others at the couch, kissing Elizabeth's hair as he passed by.

"Is everything okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Are you guys exchanging presents?"

"Yeah, Ali and Stevie insisted we open our gifts at the same time."

"Wow, I wonder what it is," he chuckled. He had received all sorts of interesting gifts from his daughters over the years. Elizabeth looked at him curiously when he laughed at the memory of them presenting him a Superman onesie just last Christmas.

Ali and Stevie brought them their gifts, handing each of them a soft package. Quickly pulling away the ribbons and layers of wrapping paper, they found sweatshirts lying inside. Everyone burst out in laughter as they saw the huge quote on the front.

Henry chuckled, recognizing the familiar words. "Good ol' Thomas Aquinas."

Just then, Maureen and Patrick's voices floated into the living room. "Hey, kiddos, how's Christmas Eve coming along?"

"Aunt Maureen! Grandpa!" The two girls squealed in delight as they got up and hugged them. "We didn't know you guys were gonna be in town!"

"It was all impromptu, your uncle Shane and aunt Erin regret not being able to come with us, but they send you guys their biggest, warmest hugs." Patrick hugged them a little tighter, making up for the absence of half the McCord family.

It wasn't long before all the presents were unwrapped, with the exception of Henry and Elizabeth's gifts for each other, and the food coma started setting in as time went by. Stevie and Ali resisted when Henry insisted they go to bed at around midnight, but it soon turned into futile protests filled with an endless stream of yawns. Unwillingly, they trudged up the stairs into their rooms, mumbling sleepy 'goodnight's as they went.

Henry heaved a sigh of relief as the adults cleaned up the place, grateful that the evening had passed without any issue despite his sister and dad being around.

Or so he thought.

Once everything was back in its place, Henry gestured to Elizabeth to move to his room and exchange their gifts. She promised Jason that it would just be a while more but just as they were about to exit the living room, Maureen spoke.

"Henry, it's been months since we've seen each other. C'mon, can't you spend some time with your family?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically high-pitched.

"Yeah, I'll be right back." He gave her a small smile before continuing down the hallway.

That was clearly not the answer she was hoping for. She instantly dropped the act. "Seriously? We rarely see you and now you're just gonna hide in your bedroom with your new girlfriend? What, is she more important than us?"

"Maureen," he warned. It wasn't new; his sister was easily displeased by his girlfriends ever since he had started dating.

"Oh, I'm so sorry we were interrupting. Dad, maybe we should just grab our stuff and go. C'mon."

Henry shifted so he shielded Elizabeth from the argument. "Maureen, cut it out. I'm not going to kick you or Dad out. Elizabeth's leaving soon, we just want to exchange our presents."

"Yeah, sure, couldn't you have just exchanged it just now? You never seem to see how all these women have you wrapped around their fingers! Look at what happened to Melissa. I bet _she's_ no different." She looked pointedly at Elizabeth, disdain clearly coloring her features.

"That's enough!" Henry exclaimed, as loudly as he could without rousing his daughters from sleep upstairs. "You barely know Elizabeth, and it's Christmas for crying out loud! If you can't keep your opinions to yourself, maybe you should see yourself out. I'm taking Elizabeth and her son home. Do as you see fit."

Elizabeth stepped forward and touched his arm. "Henry, ー"

He softly interrupted her. "C'mon, let's go."

Jason sat on the couch the whole time, watching the adults' exchange in shock and awe. When his mom started gathering her things, he, too, hastily stuffed his items into his backpack before following them out of the door.

The ride home was silent and tension rolled off Henry in waves as he drove them back to Elizabeth's place. She glanced at him occasionally as they sped through the dark streets, but his gaze was focused on the road. It was clear that he was still fuming, his anger hanging almost tangibly in the air.

Jason sat in the back, watching his mom and her boyfriend barely exchange a word. He kept his mouth shut, but his thoughts restlessly bounced around in his head. What in the world happened?! Everything had happened so quickly he hadn't quite processed it yet. Well, one thing's for sure, Henry's sister is batshit crazy, he thought.

They pulled into the driveway about 10 minutes later, entering the doorway with arms full of presents. Jason willingly obliged when Elizabeth sent him to bed with a kiss, which left Henry and Elizabeth alone in her kitchen.

"I'm sorry about Maureen, I really am," Henry said softly, his hands running over his face. "I...I didn't think they'd come when I told them I'd be spending Christmas here this year."

"Henryー"

"I should've known, or they should've called. She shouldn't have treated you like that."

Elizabeth crossed over to him to wrap her arms around him and Henry automatically pulled her further into his body. An audible sigh escaped his lips. "Henry, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay. It's Christmas. And she barely even knows you. She had no right to speak about you like that."

"Baby, I'm okay, really." Her fingers gently brushed across his cheek. "They're family. If anything, it's better to have arguments than face silence."

"Butー"

She interrupted him before he could utter another word. "Like you said, it's Christmas. Let's just forget this ever happened. Come on, we still have our presents to open!" Cracking a smile, she turned around to grab her present for him from her bag.

As he watched her rummage through her bag, he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have met her, and before he could help it ー "I love you."

The sentence fell from his lips before he could think about it.

She looked up and stared at him across the kitchen island. Did he just…?

"I mean, I, uh, I meant toー" Blood rushed to his face as he stuttered and tried to cover it up.

Elizabeth closed the distance between them and brought him into a searing kiss. His tongue pressed urgently against hers, their mouths moving together as if their lives depended on it.

When the need for air became too great, they broke apart.

"I love you too," Elizabeth whispered. They stood in each other's embrace until they regained their breaths. "I guess we didn't need the mistletoe this year…" she joked.

He chuckled. "I guess not." He kissed her tenderly once more, then led them to the couch to exchange gifts.

"Okay, me first," Elizabeth declared, grinning widely. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Alright, close your eyes." He did as she said. "No peeking! Hold your hand out." Removing the bracelet from its box, she clasped it around his wrist and adjusted it before telling him to look.

He held his hand to his eyes, watching the steel anchor glint briefly under the dim lights.

"I saw it at the store the other day and thought of you." She looked at him through her lashes as she played with his fingers. "I know it sounds really cheesy, and we've only been dating for awhile, but during these past few months, you've become my anchor and I'm really grateful for that."

"Wow, I love it! Thank you, babe." He pecked her cheek.

Her shoulders relaxed in relief. "I'm glad you like it," she beamed.

"My turn now. Close your eyes."

"Ooh, what is it?"

He shushed her affectionately and moved behind the sofa, nimbly putting the necklace on her. Immediately, she jumped up to the closest mirror to look at it. Two pendants now hung from a delicate chain around her neck, one that said "protect me" and the other an enameled heart charm.

"Wow," she breathed.

"I have a matching one." He pulled his necklace out, the exact same charms dangling from his fingers. "I thought it'd be nice if we shared something."

"I absolutely love it." She settled back into his side, resting her head on his shoulder as she sighed contentedly. "One of the best Christmas gifts ever. Thank you."

"It's not the best Christmas gift ever?" he teased.

She punched him lightly. "Nope, sorry, Mr Theologian. Jace can be an ass sometimes but he's given me pretty sweet presents."

"Fine," he laughed. He glanced at his watch; it was already close to 1:30 am. "I'd really, _really_ love to stay, but it's getting late."

"I'd really, _really_ love for you to stay too," they chuckled, "but you should go home."

They packed up, then lingered in the doorway, somehow hoping that they could prolong their time together. Not to mention, Henry dreaded returning home to deal with Maureen.

"I'm really sorry about my familyー"

She covered his mouth with her palm. "Henry, stop apologizing. I'm alright, I really am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied firmly. "See, we still had a great night."

"If you say so. And yes, we still had a great night."

"Good," she grinned. She started chasing him out, knowing that Stevie and Ali were probably awake in their beds, waiting up for him.

"Okay, okay, I'm going now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Henry. I love you." A small thrill ran through her body, giddy with the novelty of saying those three words.

"I love you too." He leaned in, and they shared another spectacular kiss before he left.

For a moment, she stood there and watched his car drive into the street. Gently touching the cool metal now lying against her skin, she smiled, warmth blooming in her chest. When his car became tiny specks of light in the distance, she shut the door and retired to her bedroom for the night.

Little did they know Jason had stayed up, listening to them talk. For the first time, he thought, maybe Henry wasn't such a bad guy after all.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I know I suck (I think we established that when I made my first Extremely Late Update), and I'm REALLY sorry (I swear) that I updated so late (again) school's been really busy and life got in the way (as always) and I really didn't mean to make y'all wait so long I'M SORRY please don't throw stuff at me aahh ANYWAY THIS A/N IS ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY THIS and as always please let me know what you think! :)))

(P.S. thank you for all the sweet reviews you guys have been leaving me I really appreciate it!)

* * *

Henry shut the door behind him as he stepped back into his entrance with a sigh, dimly lit by the Christmas tree nearby. Seeing their coats still hanging by the door, he knew that his dad and sister were still staying with him and very likely asleep in one of the rooms upstairs. He stood there with his keys in hand, lost in his own thoughts for a while, not quite sure what to make out of the evening or how to deal with his family the next day. He and Elizabeth had planned to use Christmas break as a time for their children to get to know each other and spend some time together as a family, but now it just seems far from feasible.

Snapping out of it, he shuffled to the kitchen and poured himself a nightcap before sinking into the couch, where they had just been opening presents hours earlier. It wasn't the first time Maureen had gone off at his girlfriend; thinking back, it was something she did ever since he started dating, regardless of who his girlfriend was. Riddled with confusion and lost in ruminations about the past, he barely noticed his elder daughter coming down the stairs and jumped in surprise when she quietly called him.

He placed his drink down and turned around. "Stevie, honey, what are you doing up so late?"

"Can't sleep. Ali wanted to wait up too but she fell asleep." She wrapped her cardigan tighter around herself and joined her dad, resting her head against his shoulder. "We, um, overheard you guys arguing just now. Is everything okay?"

"Elizabeth and I are good, thankfully. She wasn't mad about it at all." The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile as the later part of the evening briefly replayed in his mind. "I don't think I can say the same about your aunt or granddad, but well, we'll see." He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I would be mad if Aunt Maureen yells at me like that too." Recalling her childhood, it wasn't quite as overt, but when her mom was still around, the tension between the adults was something she could sense even as a kid. "Was she always like that?"

He let out a soft, humorless laugh before picking up his drink and taking another sip. "Pretty much, and I have no idea why," he breathed. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. We're still family, don't worry about it." He kissed her hair.

"Okay...For the record, I really like Elizabeth. She's amazing. Ali and I love having her around, and we love that she makes you happy. I really hope she sticks around."

"Thank you, honey," Henry whispered.

Breakfast the next day was a quiet affair. Aside from the occasional glance and sounds of cutlery scraping against plates, no one spoke. The girls watched them carefully, knowing that this was a flood simply waiting to burst from its dam.

Once the food disappeared, Stevie dragged Ali out of the house under the excuse of going to sled. Snow had fallen overnight, which gave her a good cover for leaving some time to the McCords to talk it out.

Henry folded his arms across his chest in his seat, his lips pursed as he attempted to stay as calm as possible.

"So…" Patrick started.

"So," Henry looked at them in the eye and took a deep breath, "Elizabeth and I are dating, and I want you guys to respect that."

Maureen scoffed. "You said that when you first dated Melissa, now look at what happened. Divorced, don't even hear a word from her anymore."

Without shifting his gaze from his sister, he spoke. "Dad, I want to talk with Maureen alone, you might want to join the girls outside."

"No idea why I got dragged into this in the first place," Patrick mumbled, getting up from his seat.

When they were finally left alone, Henry found it hard to keep his anger contained. "What the hell is your problem with the people I date? You do the same god damn thing every single time, and for pete's sake you barely even know them!"

"What, a little challenge from the boyfriend's family too hard for them?" Her words dripped with sarcasm. "I just wanted to make sure they'll stick around, is that wrong, huh?"

"Yeah, sure, insulting strangers will totally make them stay. Need I mention that I'm already a grown mー"

"You get so...so invested in your relationships! You should've seen yourself with Melissa left you! All you did was mope around and work like it was the most important thing in your life! It was like you forgot you had children to care for, or forgot that you had a family to fall back on! Mind you that was just a few years ago!" Tears threatened to fall from the corner of her eyes.

He grimaced at the memory, the almost-forgotten feeling of emptiness hitting him like a brick coming at full force. The bout of depression he experienced had rendered him incapable of caring for Stevie and Ali for a significant period of time after the split, which made Stevie grow up much faster than she should've to take charge of the household. He shuddered at the thought of it all.

"That was different, we were married…" he mumbled, knowing that he was in no position rebut what she had said.

Maureen softened her tone. "Henry, you're getting too attached. I'd hate to see you like that again, all of us would."

"Elizabeth...she's been through the same thing. She knows me, she knows how it feels. Just give her a chance. I can't lose her."

She watched him carefully. It had always been tough love with her little brother, and she only wanted the best for him, even if that concern didn't quite come out right. Now, he stared at her intently, his eyes pleading her to believe him, to trust that he knows what he's getting into. Exhaling heavily, she conceded.

"Fine. But this doesn't mean I have to like her. And if she steps out of line, I'm gonna pull the big sister card, whether you like it or not." She stood up. "I'm gonna join my nieces and enjoy the snow now. You coming or what?"

* * *

The next few days passed quickly for the Adams and the McCords, spending time at either Elizabeth's or at Henry's. Maureen and Elizabeth met several times after that day, only exchanging a few words. Awkwardness hung in the air, both of them unsure how to strike a conversation. Henry was just grateful that they weren't arguing and shouting hostile remarks at each other.

Finally when the new year rolled around, the McCords hugged farewell, and Maureen and Patrick were on their way back to Pittsburgh again. Henry shut the door with a sigh of relief and turned around to face Elizabeth. He looked at her, his mind fumbling for words.

"I guess I met your family sooner than I expected but it wasn't all that bad," she smiled wryly.

"I…"

"It really was alright, Henry, I love how...fun and noisy it can get when they're around."

He walked over and enveloped her in his arms. "Thank you. I love you." He turned slightly and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too." They pulled away a little and shared a sweet kiss, until Ali walked into the living room and spotted them making out.

"Aww," she cooed, casually munching on half a cookie.

They instantly broke apart, their faces flushing crimson.

Henry rushed to the door and swiftly pulled on his jacket. "I'm, uh, taking Elizabeth home," he mumbled.

"Don't be home too late! Stevie and I are gonna put on a couple of movies soon."

"Yeah I'll be back soon, she lives nearby."

"Yeap," Elizabeth said quickly, popping on the 'p'. "See you, Ali." She waved quickly and gave her a smile before disappearing behind the door.

Ali waited until the sound of the car engine faded away, then ran up the stairs to look for her sister. " _Hey Stevie! Guess what I just saw!_ "

* * *

Soon after, they pulled into Elizabeth's driveway. With another spectacular kiss, they parted ways for the night.

Elizabeth grabbed the letters from the mailbox, most of which she guessed were probably Christmas and New Year cards from friends and relatives. She figured it was probably late enough that Jason was asleep in his room; she decided she would check later. Pouring herself a nightcap, she sat by the kitchen island and skimmed through the stack of envelopes.

When she came to the last one, her throat immediately tightened and her heart plunged into her stomach. Her lungs struggled to find air as her fingers trembled over each picture of Jason, Henry, and her. Some even included pictures of Henry's daughters. Her loved ones. And on the last sheet:

 **WE CAN GET TO YOUR FAMILY ANY TIME**

* * *

 **A/N:** DUM DUM DUUUUUUM


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** HEY GUYS I'M BACK! As always I'M SORRY FOR THE WAIT (please don't bash me :'D) I've been busy after finals because I had to prepare to come to the UK for study abroad but I managed to complete this chapter! So hoorah! I hope you guys enjoy this! And as always, leave a review! They motivate me to write and I really appreciate them :D

* * *

Her first instinct was to dash up the stairs into her son's room. A wash of relief poured through her when she saw him snoring gently on his bed. She leaned against the door frame, a sudden wave of exhaustion hitting her. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, uninterrupted by the shocking discovery in the mail. _He's safe, he's alive, he's breathing_.

Her mind instantly rushed to Henry and she hoped, with a hint of panic, that he was unharmed.

Just then, her phone buzzed. _Thank god_. It was a text from him wishing her goodnight, ending with a 'I love you' and virtual kisses. What a sweet man. She felt her heart sink as she read the text over and over again, knowing that he was unaware of the danger he was in.

With a tremulous sigh, she returned downstairs to check that they were the only ones at home and made sure that the doors and windows were locked, sliding the deadbolts into place. When that was done, she got back to the pictures, still splayed across the kitchen counter as if to mock her. A shiver traveled down her spine as she inspected the photos. She flipped everything around and examined the insides of the envelope, the note, everything, and eventually found nothing. Not even a return address. Of course. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess in her mind.

A stalker? Was it a prank? Did they send the photos to intimidate her? But what for? What was the purpose of doing this? Do they want money? Or is it something bigger? How did they even get her address?

What was going on?

Slipping the photos back into the envelope, she hid it in her office between two books on a shelf; she didn't want Jason to pick it up accidentally. She ran a hand through her hair, tears burning at the back of her eyes as she willed herself to force down the panic. _Breathe, Elizabeth, breathe. Nothing has happened. Not yet._

Wearily, she got ready for bed. After fitfully tossing and turning for an hour in her own sheets, she crept into Jason's room and carefully positioned herself behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder. It was the only way she could fall asleep that night.

* * *

She climbed out of Jason's bed before he woke up the next morning. Events from the previous night rushed back into her mind as freshened up and got ready for work. Winter break was officially over, at least for the professors. Peering through the window with a cup of coffee in hand, she carefully surveyed her front yard for any odd movement, so of course she didn't hear Jason coming down the stairs.

"Morning, Mom." His feet shuffled against the floor, his voice still groggy and thick with sleep.

She gasped at the sudden interruption in her thoughts and spilled some of the hot black liquid onto her hands. Cursing, she grabbed a washcloth and quickly wiped the floor and counter.

Jason immediately grew more alert. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, it's nothing." She ran her fingers under water for a moment before turning the tap off and drying them. The peaceful morning silence that she was so accustomed to suddenly seemed alien, too much, intruded by some stranger watching her loved ones and her every move. She turned to face him. "Listen, Jason…"

"Mm?" He looked up, halfway through the peanut butter jelly sandwich he made for himself.

"For the next few weeks, I want you to go to school and come home straight after. And when you do, lock all the doors and frontー"

"Wait, what?! But I have plans with my friendsー" he started protesting, his voice rising with every word.

"No buts!"

"Yeah?! Really, Mom?!"

"Yeah! I mean it, Jace!" She had to yell so that she could be heard, then immediately regretted it when they fell into silence yet again, his face shocked. Clearly something in her expression made him stop. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Please, Jace. I beg you. I need you to stay safe."

He scanned her face. "Something's up. What's happening?"

For a moment she considered telling him, then brushed the thought away. "Iー, nothing. Just promise me you'll come home right after school."

"Momー"

"Fine, you know what, if you want to hang out with your friends, go ahead. But I need to know all of their names and the exact location you guys will be at. Plus a picture of proof."

"That's insaneー"

"If you want to go out, that's what you have to do! Final deal." She was breathing heavily by now, forcing words through her teeth; she wanted ー no, _needed_ ー him to be on board with this, no matter how overbearing it seemed.

His gaze never wavered from his mom. "Fine. Any other demands?"

"No...That's all." She turned back to fiddle with the switches on the coffee machine, finding something to busy her hands with.

"Fine," he huffed angrily, throwing the half-eaten sandwich into a paper bag. "I'm going to school."

"Bye," she muttered, then raised her volume, "I love you."

All she heard was a resounding slam as the door fell shut.

* * *

Jason looked back at his house before getting on the bus. Something was bothering his mom and he knew it. Just the day before, she was happily spending time with him and Henry and out of nowhere, her eyes looked haunted, like something truly spooked her. He was mad, sure, but knowing that his mom was this shaken by something, somewhere in his chest, he felt a seed of terror sprouting.

* * *

Back in the kitchen, Elizabeth sank into a nearby stool. A muted panic settled over her, her experience as a CIA analyst kicking in. While her body reacted physiologically to the new threat, her head was clear ー probably the adrenaline pumping in her veins. She considered her next step, then picked up her phone to text Henry.

For the first time in a few months, she was going to work in a bus again.

* * *

Henry found his girlfriend's text puzzling. Throughout his time working at UVA for over a decade, the workload had always been fairly manageable. Why would she need to get to work early and take public transport? Thinking that it might be some administrative work that she needed to settle, he drove past her house and headed straight for school.

* * *

"Hey, babe," Henry greeted warmly as he entered her office, bending down to peck her cheek when he reached her.

"Hey," she replied. She glanced up quickly and flashed a smile before turning back to the paper she was reading.

 _More odd behavior_ , he thought, _did I do something wrong?_ They usually greeted each other with a kiss, no matter how busy they were. He sat down opposite her. "Busy? I was thinking of grabbing lunch."

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, babe. How bout I catch you later?" Another weak smile.

"Yeah, sure." He leaned over her desk to kiss her cheek again. "Love you."

Her heart twisted in her chest when she saw him waiting for her response, a slither of doubt in his eyes. As if she could love him any less. Reaching across her papers, she took his hand in hers. "Love you too."

For the next few days, Elizabeth made a constant effort to avoid Henry. She desperately wanted to keep him safe, especially when their relationship was finally working out. Even when they did meet up, after much of Henry's insistence, she kept some distance, training her eyes on anything suspicious around them.

Needless to say, he grew more and more puzzled about her remoteness. He didn't need CIA skills to know that something was bothering her, but whether it was about him or something else, he wasn't quite sure. He racked his brain day after day, wondering what could have caused the change in behavior. They had been fine ー more than fine, in fact ー until then. He was crazy about her, something that even his daughters have noticed as they spent more time together, and he was pretty sure that she felt the same way. So why pull away?

When she rejected his invitation to dinner at his place for the 5th time in 2 weeks ー and over text, no less, since she had been uncontactable otherwise ー he decided that he _needed_ to find out what was going on.

Without warning, he turned up on her doorstep one morning before work, knowing that she'd have to leave to take the bus at some point. He waited for Jason's school bus to leave before knocking on the door.

"Coming!" she yelled from inside. After a moment, she wrenched the door open.

"Hey, babe. I'm sorry this is so sudden, but I really just neeー"

She cast a cursory glance across her front yard to make sure that no one else was there before yanking him in by the arm and closing the door.

"ーded to know what's going on." His speech slowed down as he took in how jumpy she was. Something was up.

She awkwardly cleared her throat, her finger running along the bottom of her coffee cup. "Sorry, you were saying…?"

"What's going on?" he asked again, this time with a hint of urgency.

She tilted her head nonchalantly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, between us."

Her heart did a little leap, tipping into a small panic. She cleared her throat again. "Um, between us?"

"Yeah, you've been avoiding me." He couldn't help the small accusatory tone slipping into his voice. Suddenly, his words, came in a rush. "I haven't seen you in school, you don't let me take you to work either, and I've invited you over or out for a date but you've rejected me every time. Did I do something wrong? Because if I did, it's okay to tell me. I'll make it up to you."

"Iー" It hadn't occurred to her that it was _that_ obvious. For an ex-intelligence agent, she wasn't doing a very good job at being cautious. "No, you haven't, babe." Her fingers continued playing with her cup, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"Then what's going on?" He walked over to her and set her mug on a table nearby before taking one of her hands in his. He slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her face up so he could look at her. Immediately, he could tell that she was spooked. By what, he didn't know. But he intended to find out. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing, I just have a lot of work," she lied again.

"C'mon babe, I can tell something's bothering you. Tell me, please." He practically begged. He wanted to take away whatever was scaring her and pulling her away from him.

She shook her head and gave him a watery smile. "Everything's good."

"Is it Jason? Did something happen to him?" he prodded, his hand sliding down to rub her arm soothingly.

For a moment, she considered telling him. The way he looked at her, it felt like he was reaching into her depths and trying to know all her worries, compelling her to trust him. She did, but it wasn't a matter of trust; it was a matter of his safety. If pulling away would keep him safe, then she would resolve this whole stalker thing before she even spoke another word to him.

"Henry, I'm fine, I promise," she whispered. "I think I just need some time...to figure something out. You've done nothing wrong, I just need some time to think things through."

"Elizabeth…"

"I'm really sorry. You should go."

He searched her eyes desperately, digging for some clue, _anything_. But when the silence dragged on, he knew she meant it. Leaning in, he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "You know where to find me if you need me. I love you."

And with that, he left, and she was left alone in her house again.

"I love you too," she whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Hello! It's been a while but I haven't abandoned this story :') To those who have been reading/reviewing/supporting, thank you thank you thank you. It means a lot to me. And I really appreciate all the patience! I know I'm not the greatest at updating regularly, so I'm really grateful that you guys are sticking around. I'm approaching the end of the semester, and unfortunately, April's jam-packed with assignments. With that said, I'm going to try and write as much as I can.

SO about this chapter, I might've gone a little OOC, but I hope you'll still like it. Alright, I'm done rambling. As usual, reviews are highly appreciated! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Her eyes snapped open and stared out into the dreary winter morning outside her house. Immediately, heaviness crept up her form, mimicking the blanket of snow laying in the front yard before coming to rest on her chest. It felt constricted, making it a little hard to breathe.

It had been a week and a half since she had received the photos and she still hasn't gotten any leads. She did what she could but even with her CIA analyst skills, there wasn't much she could pull from the letter itself. Seeking Isabelle's help had crossed her mind, but she didn't want to alarm the stalker in any way.

Jason continued to come home right after school as she had requested, albeit with some audible grumbling upon stepping in. It was expected, she thought, but the fact that he respected her wishes was enough to quell her fears for now.

Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed, then got out of bed to start the day.

On the outside, she tried to maintain an image of normalcy. Greet colleagues, make small talk, get food, work, make sure the house doesn't fall apart. But her insides were everything but normal ー they were twisted, plagued with bouts of anxiety, wondering what was going to happen next. It felt like someone was watching her every step, sending her system into hypervigilance.

A small voice argued against all her suspicions. Maybe it was a joke, maybe you're just being paranoid. Nothing had happened since whoever it is sent the dreaded gift, so maybe, just maybe, it was nothing but a prank. People did it all the time, right?

Yet, every fiber of her being was screaming otherwise, and so far, her gut feeling has never been wrong.

* * *

Henry has yet to contact her too. He understood that she needed space, for whatever reason she refused to share. Her distant behavior worried him sick; the fear and stress was practically becoming a permanent fixture on her face whenever he saw her along the office corridor. The only words they've exchanged the past week were greetings as they passed each other in the hallway and nothing more.

Stevie and Allison picked up on his worrying, emanating from him in almost tangible waves, and tried to pull out information from him in hopes of helping him relax. All their efforts came to naught as their dad continued to deny that something was bothering him. It was easy to guess that it had something to do with Elizabeth, considering how his affection for her had grown exponentially over the past few months, but they didn't know anything more than that.

He sensed that his daughters were worried for him. But even if he wanted to tell them what it was, he couldn't ー he had no information to go on.

Tossing and turning in his bed one night, he decided that he would confront her again if the silence persisted for a few more days.

* * *

Another week passed. Elizabeth relented a little, finally thinking maybe it really was a one-off prank. After all, there was no follow-up, no further threats, no weird, creepy person hot on her trail. She continued to be wary of her surroundings regardless of where she was, but nothing out of the ordinary caught her attention.

Tossing her coat onto her office chair, she exhaled heavily and settled down to start the day. Even with everything that was going on, she couldn't help but miss Henry.

His prolonged absence made her realize that he had become a constant in her life. She missed the daily rides to work, ached for their light-hearted banter and silly dates after work. More than anything, she longed for him and the affection they shared for each other.

She felt her eyes well up with tears but she willed them away; she had no time to start crying. Shoving her emotions aside, she got to work.

* * *

It had been long enough, Henry thought. He paced around his office, considering his options. He knew she was already in office - he saw her arrive - even though classes don't start for another half an hour. But assuming it was something that needed more time to talk about, he decided against it. He paced some more, chewing on a nail between his teeth, walking enough laps around the room to wear down the carpet. Just before leaving for his first class, he made up his mind; he would look for her tonight.

* * *

With the final class done, Elizabeth let her feet carry her body to the campus post office while her mind wandered to more mundane things at home.

Checking in with the staff, she got the letters addressed to her and muttered a word of thanks. She did a cursory check, fingering through each one to see if anything needed her immediate attention as she turned to leave. Her heart plunged when she saw the same handwriting on a similarly sized envelope ー just large enough to fit pictures, just like the one she had received just a little over 2 weeks ago.

Spinning around, she approached the counter again.

"Hey, um, Abigail, did you see who dropped this off?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah! The regular postman," she replied cheerfully. Looking up, she noticed all color drained from Elizabeth's face, her expression distraught. "Is everything okay, Dr. Adams? You look a little pale."

Elizabeth answered a beat late. "Uh, yeah, I-I'm fine. Thanks again." Without waiting for another response, she hurriedly left the confined space.

She texted Jason, then rushed to the nearest road and flagged for a cab, thankful when one stopped in front of her within seconds. She quickly gave the memorized address, and the driver, sensing her urgency, sped down the street.

It wasn't long before the familiar building came into sight. Her hand was about to knock the door when it opened, causing her to jump in shock before she threw herself at him. His arms immediately went around her to stop her from falling.

"Elizabeth? I was just about toー"

"Henry," she choked out.

"Hey, hey, baby, what's wrong?" He pulled her in and shut the door, holding her close. "Talk to me, Elizabeth."

Words stopped in her throat, refusing to reveal what she came to tell him, even though she desperately wanted to. "Iー" She shook her head.

Bringing up a hand to cup her cheek, he asked again. "What's wrong? Sweetheart, talk to me."

"Are they home?" she croaked out.

"Allison and Stevie? They're not here. Please, Elizabeth, tell me what's wrong."

"Bring me upstairs."

He studied her for a moment. "Babe, are you sure? You're so upset and you were acting so weird these past few weeks, I don't want you to be doing this just becauseー"

"I'm sure." Her voice was barely an audible whisper.

Henry hesitated. She was the most amazing woman he has ever met and call him old-fashioned, but from the start, he had already decided that he wanted their first time to be special. She deserved that much.

"Please." Her voice broke.

Making sure that this was something she really wanted, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead before grasping her hand in his and leading her to his bedroom.

Standing close to each other, he murmured. "Tell me if you want me to stop, okay?" She nodded.

Layer by layer, they peeled their clothes off. Henry was careful to be gentle as they settled on the bed, her bare form pinned securely under his. His lips met hers for the first time in weeks, the relief of physical contact instantly flooding their senses. When they briefly pulled apart, he whispered promises of love before he slipped inside her, eliciting a soft cry. Once she adjusted to the sensation, they started moving, gripping at each other, staying as close as humanly possible. His fingers searched for hers, holding them down beside her face as they made love, raw sounds of flesh hitting flesh filling the room. When she tumbled over the edge, he followed, her name muffled against her shoulder.

He cleaned them up before coming to rest under the sheets, facing each other. He ran a hand across her hip.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said quietly. "And sorry for coming here and acting like a crazy bitch."

He chuckled. "You can come here anytime you want." Pause. "Do you want to talk about it, babe? I'm all ears," he said softly.

She swallowed thickly. It was now or never. She peered around the room, as if to check if anyone else was listening in, then returned to look at him. "Someone is stalking me, and you, and the kids, and I don't know what to do." Her voice trembled, tears gradually staining her cheeks. "I thought I could do it, find out which bastard was behind this and get him arrested or something...I was in the CIA for God's sake! But I couldn't, and," she gulped, "and then I received another letter this evening at work, right before I got here. I've gotten threats before, back when I worked for the intelligence community. But I was never targeted like this. I can't lose you Henry, I- I can't lose the kids, I can't lose Jason or Alli or Stevieー"

"Baby, breathe," he reminded her, rubbing her arm soothingly. It broke his heart to see her so terrified, her hushed voice rising with panic with each word she spoke. When her breaths slowed down, he spoke again. "You're sure it's a stalker and not a prank?"

"I'm sure, Henry. There are pictures of us, leaving work, you picking me up from home, Jason at school, everything. They know where we hang out, there's even a picture of us at that Chinese place!" She gazed at him, wide-eyed, as if to search for answers within him.

"Do you have the letter with you?" he asked calmly. He could already feel the rage and fear building up inside and he did all he could to keep his composure.

She sniffled. "N-Not the first one, just the one I got from work today. I haven't opened it."

He slipped on some clothes, passing her some of his sweats in the process, and went to her bag to retrieve it. "Is it okay if I open it?"

She nodded. He reached over to hold her hand and reassure her, then tore through the stiff paper, revealing another stack of pictures printed in color. Pictures of him at home, of his girls at the ice-cream parlor, of Elizabeth waiting at the bus-stop, of Jason with his friends. And just like the first one, a note at the very end.

 **WE'RE STILL WATCHING.**

Henry cleared his throat. "Was there a note in the first one too?"

"Uh, yeah. It said that they can get to us anytime," she whispered.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Elizabeth, or Jason for that matter."

"But if they managed to get these pictures without us even noticing, then what's stopping them?! Henry, I've been watching my back for the past few weeks, and it still happened again!"

"Exactly, babe, they clearly know how to reach us, but they haven't. They haven't done anything other than taking pictures and mailing them to you. Do you know who it might be?"

She exhaled, pushing a hand through her messy locks. "I've put so many people through interrogation and into detention, it could be anyone."

"How about your ex-husband?"

"John? I don't know...I mean, we had our...issues, but doing this?" She shook her head. "Even if it was him, why now? After all these years?"

"I don't know, babe."

Silence sat between them for several minutes before either of them spoke again. Elizabeth grabbed her phone and checked the time, seeing a few messages from Jason. "I need to go home. Jason's alone…"

Henry placed the pictures and note back into the envelope. "C'mon, I'll send you home."

They pulled up into her driveway not too long after. He walked her in, an arm securely around her, feeling better if he saw her safely all the way into her house.

"Jason, I'm home!"

"In here!" he called out from his room; she could hear the sound of his video game. Moving over, the sight of him immediately calmed her down. He was still safe.

Bending down, she pecked his head. "Glad to see you home."

"Yeah, because of the _curfew_ ," he emphasized.

"I love you," she chuckled. Watching him from the doorway for another long minute, she returned to the kitchen, where Henry was, browsing the images from the 1st letter.

Dropping them onto the counter, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly before pulling back to look at her. "Will you be okay tonight?"

"Yeah." She offered a weary smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm glad you came to talk to me about this, Elizabeth. I won't let whoever it is hurt you or Jason, I promise. And whatever it is, we're together," he said firmly.

"Thank you." She rested her head on his chest, savoring the comfort of being in his presence again. More than anything, she was grateful that she got to know him and fall in love with him. "You're a good man, Henry McCord."

"So they say," he joked, trying to lighten the mood, causing them to laugh.

"You should go. This affects the girls too. Go check on them."

Reluctant as he was to leave her, she was right. "Okay."

They exchanged goodnight kisses and 'I love you's and promises of seeing each other the next day, just like they did before all of this happened.

Elizabeth then locked all the doors and windows, making sure that the deadbolts were slid into place. Checking on Jason one final time, she padded into her room to retire for the night.

That night, she slept a little better for the first time in a while.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** *carefully waves* hello, I'm back for now. SO here's the new chapter I promised! I uh, welp life's been busy hence the lack of activity and I apologize for that. My summer semester ends in about 4 weeks and I have a light load in fall so hopefully I'm gonna update more. BUT um YEAH I hope the somewhat long-ish chapter makes up for it a little. Let me know what you think in the reviews below?! Because (although I suck at writing consistently) it still motivates me and makes me a happy bean. Ok 'nuff said ENJOY!

Disclaimer: Parts of this chapter (and of course, the characters) were borrowed from the show and are not mine!

* * *

"Here," Henry said, handing Elizabeth a cup of warm, black liquid.

"Thanks." She offered him a small smile before settling down by the island and facing him.

They were in her kitchen the following day. Henry had appeared at her door bright and early in the morning and offered to cook breakfast for her and Jason. Seeing him in her home, Elizabeth was glad that he hadn't been scared away after all that had happened the previous night. But some part of her wondered if she freaked him out, even just a little bit. After all, she was a mess when she turned up at his place.

"So, uh…" he cleared his throat, a pause hanging in the air, "about last night…"

Uh oh. He is freaked out, she thought. _Shit._

She looked away and started rambling, words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I'm sorry, I, uh, probably came on too strong, I shouldn't have turned up at your place when I was so freaked out, and the whole sex thing was just not the right timing, I'm realー"

"Hey, hey, babe, it's okay." The look she shot him cut his sentence short. "Okay, admittedly, I was a little freaked out when you were crying and stuff. And I wanted to make it more romantic for you for our first time, but it definitely wasn't bad." Blood rushed to her face and she opened her mouth to apologize again but he reached her hands out to hold hers and continued. "I understand that it wasn't the…ideal timing," he leaned in, whispering in her ear, "I would've taken you out on a date, had a nice meal and some wine, then brought you over to my place and light some candles…"

The corners of her mouth turned up a little, the picture he painted blooming in her mind.

"I promise we'll have that date soon."

Uncertainty and fear still lingered with the stalker issue left unresolved, but she tried her best to bury it. "Okay," she whispered.

"Okay," he echoed, pulling her in for a hug. They were going to be okay.

* * *

They decided that it was probably better to stay together and with that, they went back to how it was before. Going to school together, teaching, sharing meals, more work, then home. It felt familiar and lent Elizabeth some semblance of peace. Being with Henry again also made things better and everything was able to return to normal for most of it.

Henry watched her carefully in the days that followed, and slowly saw her return to her usual self. He was glad; seeing her happy and bubbly made him happy too.

For a while, they had some peace. There were no further provocations from the stalker, no letters, no photos. But they knew - she knew - that it was a matter of time before the next one arrived. It was on his mind too, so when things calmed down a little, over one of their post-work dinners, he asked.

"Have you asked your CIA friend to look into it? Maybe she can help…?"

"Isabelle? I thought about it," she exhaled, "but it's not within CIA's jurisdiction to be involved in minor matters like this." She leaned back into her seat.

He ran a hand through his peppered hair. "Does she have connections then? In the FBI? Or someone who could help look into this?"

"Maybe…? I could try. We didn't exactly work with FBI agents often in our jobs, but I can give it a shot. I'll try to set a lunch date with her, it's been a while since we had a catch-up session anyway." She gave a wry smile, but it didn't reach her eyes; they were still tense, the usually bright crystal blue dull and muted.

Henry sensed it, reaching across the table to lay his hand on hers, waves of reassurance emanating from him. "We'll catch this guy somehow."

* * *

The smell of burgers and fries wafted through the fast food joint, tables filled with the lunch crowd while chatter mingled with orders shouted across the constricted space. It was a miracle that Elizabeth and Isabelle could find seats during peak hour. Quickly peeking at the familiar menu, they placed their orders.

"Still as crowded as ever, huh," Elizabeth grinned. She was glad to see that Isabelle was still the same amiable badass she worked with.

"Yeap, I still eat here like...almost every day," she chuckled.

"Nothing quite like the...fried everything they have here. You seem busy as always."

"You know how it is."

She sure did. Her mind flashed back to countless hours spent in their office, surviving with cup after cup of coffee and quick bites in between. It certainly wasn't the most stress-free job but perhaps one of the more rewarding one's she's had by far.

Isabelle picked through her fries, dipping them in ketchup before throwing it into her mouth. "How's the life of academia treating you?"

"Good, I'm starting to really love the job."

"The part about being a professor, or is there someone I'm not hearing about?" Isabelle smirked.

Blood immediately rushed to Elizabeth's face, her cheeks a shade closer to the ketchup on the table. "Were you keeping tabs on me?"

"Didn't need to. I may not be as good as you when it comes to being an analyst, but I'm still a decent one. You look happier, Bess, and," she looked pointedly at the necklace hung around Elizabeth's neck, glinting under the diner lighting, "you only wear jewelry that's significant to you, so I guessed it had to do with someone, and it definitely did not look like it came from Jason. So who's the lucky guy?"

"Henry. He's a theology professor in school, he's a really sweet man." Just the thought of him sent her heart rate up a little, her grin widening. Her fingers automatically went up to touch the two pendants, the ones he also had. She already had the grooves of the cool metal imprinted in her mind.

"Aww, look at you. I can feel all the _luuuuurv,"_ she teased, much to the protest from Elizabeth. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." She paused, unsure about how to bring up what she's going to say next. Oh, to hell with overthinking it. "Well, actually, about that, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Isabelle noted the shift in tone. "Spill."

Elizabeth peered around, as if to check if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation. "We're being stalked." Immediately, a bewildered look crossed Isabelle's features,then shifting into an unreadable expression the next second. Elizabeth continued before her friend could cut in, her hushed words picking up speed. "I received a bunch of pictures with a threat a few weeks ago and I thought it was amateur enough to be a prank, but there was nothing left behind that told us who did it - a little too clean. Then we received another, and we decided that it wasn't just some joke. I have Jason, Henry has two daughters; we can't let them get hurt. I wouldn't trouble you if I knew some other way out."

"You should've told me earlier!" Isabelle exclaimed, not so much in disappointment, but more in concern. "Have you tried the police?"

"No, not yet, I thought it would just go away on its own." She suddenly felt foolish; the thought of going to local authorities hadn't exactly crossed her mind. "And if it came to it, I could've dealt with it on my own...or something like that," she added as an afterthought.

"This person could be dangerous! What if this person really hurts you? Or Jason?" Elizabeth fell silent, the noise around them suddenly overbearing. "Do you have any clue who it might be?"

"Henry thought it could beー" she lowered her voice, "ーthat it could be John, but he wouldn't do that...would he? I mean, it was bad...but still."

"Bad? Bess, he was downright _horrible._ Henry might be on to something. It'll at least give us somewhere to start."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip between her teeth, fighting the urge to defend her ex-husband ー old habits die hard. She forced it aside. "Thank you. I know this isn't exactly what we do in the CIA, so I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for. I have a connection or two in the FBI, I'll try to get them to look into John as soon as I can, and maybe others you dealt with when you were in the company, get them to work with local authorities."

Finishing their meals, they gathered their stuff, paid the bill, and left the place. Standing outside the still bustling joint, Elizabeth pulled Isabelle into a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered into her ear.

"Always." They pulled apart. "I'm sorry this is happening. To you and Henry."

"Yeah, it's crazy. Who would've thought personal threats would come after I quit the company?" she joked, trying to alleviate the mood.

Isabelle chuckled. "I'll keep you posted. And please, stop by more often. I miss seeing your face around here. Maybe bring Henry along."

The corners of her mouth turned up by the slightest degree. "I'll try."

* * *

Elizabeth faceplanted into the couch with a groan once she stepped into her home one weekday evening, Henry following closely behind her and quietly laughing at her. Midterm papers were due and all the professors, Henry and her included, had been spending the week locked in their offices when they were not teaching a class or attending a meeting. There were some things in her somewhat new job she still hadn't gotten used to and could do less of.

He plopped down beside her, trailing his fingers in her hair. "Dinner?" Meals had become his thing whenever they were at each other's home and Elizabeth was always more than happy to just help with the smaller stuff while watching her boyfriend cook.

"Yes please," she spoke into the cushions, not caring to turn around. She could feel herself about to nod off any moment now.

"I'll be back with pasta."

"Need any help?"

"Nah I think I'm fine, don't worry about it." He bent down and pressed a kiss to her head.

"Thank you, babe." She adjusted herself so she laid on her back in hope of getting some shut eye. She smiled when she heard him ask Jason if he wanted dinner and the short banter that followed. Knowing that Jason trusted Henry enough to share about his day at school and talk about his friends lifted her spirits, especially considering how cold he used to treat Henry at first. Satisfied, she slipped into a short nap. Until a panicked shout sounded from the kitchen.

Her eyes snapped open to her house in chaos. Every electronic device flickered frantically in some twisted nightmarish disco from hell as ear-splitting noises erupted around them. Oh my god.

She dashed to the kitchen and nearly ran straight into Jason who was also looking for her. She pulled him into her arms, then looked around for Henry, trying desperately to turn off the stove.

"Henry?! What's happening?!" she asked, alarmed. Her heart raced in her chest, helplessness, confusion and shock all rolled into her mind.

Giving up on dinner and chucking the pan into the basin, Henry immediately reached out to wrap them in a protective embrace. "I don't know, I thought your microwave was crazy for a bit and suddenly this happened!" He cursed harshly under his breath.

All senses heightened, they scanned their surroundings, looking out for any unwanted intruder, but spotted none. If she was honest with herself, Elizabeth wasn't sure the lack of a perpetrator was any better. She could at least pin the whole thing on some bastard that walked through the door and get him arrested instead of searching for a phantom.

Elizabeth tried her best to reassure Jason over the commotion, but even her usually calm and collected son wasn't taking it well ー he had his eyes slammed shut and his hands over his ears. She rubbed circles on his back, hoping that it could somehow help soothe him a bit.

After a minute or so, everything returned to normal, as if the whole thing hadn't happened in the first place.

She let out a choked breath, doing a quick check to ensure that everyone was alright, then immediately turned her focus to Jason. "Honey, baby, it's over, it's over, it's okay now." She crushed him to her chest, because thank god nobody was physically hurt.

He clung onto his mother ー the first time he had done so in years ー and sobbed into her blouse.

She comforted him as much as she could, and once Jason had calmed down, Elizabeth tucked him into bed, but not before checking that no one had indeed entered their home. He might be a teenager, but he was still her kid and she hated seeing him so distraught. When he finally fell asleep, she returned to the kitchen to find Henry pacing about.

"What the actual fuck," she muttered. She was shaken, but more than that, frustration and rage rose inside of her, threatening to explode. None of this made sense to her, _nothing_. First her family was stalked and now this?! All for some reason she couldn't fathom. She wanted to shout, scream, question the person who did this, but there was no one else in the room aside from Henry, who felt the same.

His boots tapped impatiently against the wooden flooring, nearly wearing a hole in it walking from one end to the other. Without saying a word, he picked up his phone and dialed for the local authorities. Isabelle had promised that they would increase area patrol after all.

With their assurance that they would be at her residence in 10 minutes, he hung up the phone and sunk into the stool by the island.

Elizabeth folded an arm across her chest, biting the nails of her other hand between her teeth. "What do we do now?" she whispered anxiously.

Henry exhaled heavily, then moved across the room to pull her into a hug, resting his forehead against hers. "Now, we wait."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Hello! It's been a while. Been busy, got rusty. I'm nearing graduation so I wanted to really focus on school, and this semester was demanding in its own ways, but now that it has ended, I'm back. I...frankly am not the best at planning plots and I'm winging it most of the time but I hope this chapter turns out coherent enough...ish. 'nuff said, enjoy and let me know what you think! Have a good Sunday x

* * *

The constant flash of red and blue through the kitchen windows was unsettling. It distracted Elizabeth momentarily, her mind zoning out as the police droned on about how they couldn't find anything or anyone suspicious within the vicinity. Well, that was expected, she thought.

Just within earshot, she heard Henry relentlessly directing questions at the strangers, the tone of his voice rising with every surge of frustration. She barely had enough energy left in her to entertain more unwanted guests, so she let him do the talking. Moving almost robotically, she opened the liquor cabinet to get the whiskey before pouring a shot for both Henry and herself. She set the glass in front of Henry as she joined them at the dinner table, placing a hand over his and squeezing his fingers in silent appreciation. He gave her a small smile and returned the gesture.

The uniformed officer sighed. "I'm really sorry, Ms. Adams, Mr. McCord, we can't do much for now. We can try to trace the source of the hack, but perps like these often mask their location, so they're hard to catch. We can only advise that you take your appliance offline and be careful. We'll keep up our patrols in the area. If anything weird comes up, we're a call away."

Elizabeth showed them out the door, then settled back on her chair. She let her head fall back; the night could not have gone any worse. Her mind ran through the same circle of thoughts - who did it? Why would anyone do this to her family? What were they doing to do next? When was it going to stop?

Henry's voice snapped her out of her contemplations. "Babe, you okay?"

"No, not really." Taking his hand into hers again, she started playing with his fingers. "How are you so calm about this?"

He looked at her wistfully. "Oh trust me, I'm fuming. Though I admit, I sorta took it out on the poor guy earlier, so I've ran out of rage for the day." They both laughed mirthlessly. "Babe, I promise you, I'll do my best to keep our families safe. We'll figure this out together somehow. Okay?"

Gazing at him, the corners of her lips turned up slightly, a wave of gratitude washing over her. The genuine concern he exuded served as a source of comfort to her. "Okay," she whispered.

"Good." He leaned over and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you too."

With an embrace, they parted for the night. The heaviness that Henry's presence lifted instantly returned and she felt the air leave her lungs, robbing her breath. For a moment, she leaned against the door for support, her hand automatically reaching for the cool metal that laid on chest; it was the one thing that kept her grounded.

When her foyer stopped spinning around her, she swallowed the lump in her throat and with her phone in her hand, she dialled Isabelle's number.

* * *

Isabelle picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Bess. What's up?"

"My house got hacked." Elizabeth drew in a shaky breath. Saying it aloud made it all too real all of a sudden.

"Hacked?! How?!"

"All my appliances went haywire, it looked like some real life Stephen King disco, even Jason freaked out." Elizabeth said, the words rushing out of her mouth. "Henry was here when it happened, I'm just glad his girls weren't here with us tonight. I-It lasted for about a minute before it stopped. We checked the whole house and nobody was here aside from the three of us. After that we called the police, but of course they said they couldn't do anything. And I...I just wanted to let you know what happened." She ended with a huff, her free hand wiping at her forehead as if to clear off some sweat that wasn't there.

Silence sat between them for a few seconds. "Isabelle, are you still there?" Elizabeth asked, unsure if the connection got somehow cut off.

"Yeah, just thinking." After another short pause, she continued. "Will you be home tomorrow?"

"In the evening after work, yeah."

"Great, I'll drop by tomorrow if it's okay with you? I might bring a tech guy to do a check, maybe start trying to track down where the hack came from."

"Yeah, um, sure."

"We'll catch this bastard, Bess. Hang in there."

Left in the living hall with nothing else she could do, Elizabeth checked all the locks and popped by Jason's room before retiring to her own bed for the night, praying for sleep to come.

* * *

Henry stepped into his home at around 11pm, ready to collapse into bed. But he knew he had one more thing to do.

Hearing the chatter of the TV somewhere in the house, he quickly located Alison and Stevie, who were catching up on what seemed to be the Kardashian family as the curled up on the couch. He could never understand the appeal of those lifestyle shows. With a quick glance, they briefly greeted him before their eyes returned to the screen. When his reply was less than his usual enthusiastic self, Stevie immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Dad, did something happen?" she asked cautiously, "you seem a little...down."

"Actually, yeah. Can you turn it off for a moment?"

Without hesitation, Stevie grabbed the remote and switched the TV off. Alison's protest died on her lips when she spotted her dad's expression.

"What's up?" Stevie asked.

"Well...something happened tonight." He struggled to find the words to break the night's incident in a gentler way, but there was no way around it. He sighed. "When I was at Elizabeth's place tonight, um, her place got hacked."

Sudden exclamations of concern sounded out from the two of them, and Henry had to calm them down before he could continue. "We're fine, nobody got hurt, it was a remote thing. But um, this wasn't the first time this guy has done something. At first, they only targeted Elizabeth, but...I'm sorry I took so long to say this...we're being stalked."

Silence. Alison instinctively huddled closer to her older sister.

"I promise you, I will not let anything happen to you two," he said, slowly emphasizing every word. "Whoever it is, maybe they're playing a prank, or, or something. But I'll make sure nobody hurts any one of us, okay? I just wanted to let you know so you guys can be more careful. Watch out for any weird people, try not to stay out too late. Do you still have the pepper spray?"

"Yeah," Stevie and Alison replied.

"Good. I want to you to have it ready if you're out alone, make sure you carry it at all times. Got it?" They nodded. Henry wringed his hands and his head dipped a little lower. "I'm really sorry that this is happening."

"No, dad, this is not on you." Alison said.

"Yeah, it's on this...weirdo, whoever they are." Stevie added. "Is Elizabeth okay? How is she holding up? How's Jason?"

"It was really scary so Jason sorta panicked but Elizabeth, she's holding up okay, I think. She's a strong person."

Alison laid a hand on her dad's. "Don't worry about us."

Henry chuckled; not worrying about them was a near impossible task. "I'll try my best." He got up and hugged the two of them tightly, sending a quiet prayer to God, hoping with everything in him that no harm will ever come to them.

* * *

Elizabeth was mulling things over her coffee the next morning when Henry turned up at her door. At some point during the night's restlessness, she decided that she'd try to take things as they go; it wasn't going to help if she continued losing sleep over it. Just then, she heard Jason saying 'hi' to Henry by the entrance and pulled herself out of her ruminations. By now, he was unperturbed by Henry's daily visits and greeted him whenever he stepped out to catch the school bus.

"Hey," Henry said when he found Elizabeth in the kitchen.

She looked up from her mug and gave a tired smile. "Hi."

He strolled over and pulled her close, brushing a hand along her cheek. She leaned into his warmth. "You okay? You look like you didn't sleep very well."

She hummed. "Yeah, I'm okay. How about you? You don't look too good yourself." She rubbed his arm soothingly.

"Had to tell the girls about what happened yesterday...and the stalking," he exhaled. "It wouldn't be fair to them if I didn't and left them defenseless."

"You did the right thing, Henry, you're a good dad."

"Thanks." He smiled wryly. "Well, shall we go?"

She fingered his tie and straightened it for a second or two ー their little morning ritual. "Let's."

* * *

Henry strode down the familiar hallway, his body knowing the route to Elizabeth's office without needing much thought. Before he knew it, he stood before her door. Raising his hand, he rapped her the wooden surface twice.

"Come in!"

She was still buried in some papers, her computer in front of her as she recorded her students' grades.

"Professor Adams, I need some help with this paper…" Her head snapped up at the familiar voice and a small laugh bubbled behind her lips. "Hey, babe," he grinned, bending down to peck her lips.

"Hey." She peeked at the clock in the corner of her screen. "It's already lunch time?"

He picked up her hand and started playing with her fingers. "Mm, you've been holed up in your office for too long."

"If only the midterm papers could grade themselves," she lamented.

"It can't be helped that your classes are so highly sought after."

She rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who has a cult following."

"I so do _not_ have a cult following!"

"Continue denying that, McCord, but you can't fight the truth," she teased. She got up, tugging him along. "Let's grab lunch."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Mm, but just for the record, I truly don't have a cult following."

"Uh huh," she said unconvincingly. Just as her hand touched the door handle, she abruptly stopped and turned around. "Actually, I was thinking, should we go to the dean about our...situation? So the school knows to up the security and stuff. What do you think?" she asked, worry coloring her tone. Bringing a personal matter into their professional lives wasn't something she treated lightly.

He deliberated for a bit. "I think it's only fair that we do so."

After a quick bite at the nearby cafeteria, they headed straight to the dean's office. As they stood outside, they both took deep breaths, hands joined in mutual reassurance.

"Ready?" Elizabeth asked.

Henry answered by knocking twice before hearing a call to enter. Stepping into the warm space, they were met with the sight of a formidable man sitting behind a desk that seemed a little too small for him. Despite his somewhat intimidating physique, Andrew was known to be a warm colleague to many, his hearty laugh a familiar sound in the corridors on campus.

"Dr. Adams, Dr. McCord! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Andrew asked, looking up from the file he was studying.

The two professors shared a look before Elizabeth spoke, considering her words carefully. "Dean Wood, we have a, um, personal matter that we thought you should know about. As you've probably heard, Dr. McCord and I started seeing each other a while ago," she shifted uncomfortably.

"So I've heard, congratulations! But I'm guessing that's not why you're here today…?" he smiled patiently.

"Thank you, sir. Yes, well the thing is, recently, our families are being...stalked and I understand that this might affect the safety of our colleagues and students. We're trying our best to resolve this with the authorities, but in the meantime, we thought we should let you know about it. We sincerely apologize for bringing this into work, but given that it's taking a while to find the perpetrator…" She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. I'll make sure security knows about it so they can be on the lookout. How are your families doing?"

Henry nodded. "Thank you, Dean Wood, we really appreciate it. They're holding up." He exchanged a small smile with Elizabeth, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"Yeah, they're okay," she added.

"That's good, at least. Please, keep me updated and feel free to let me know if you need anything else. I imagine that this hasn't been easy for both of you, so I'll be happy to help to the best of my abilities."

They both thanked him once again before leaving and walking back to Elizabeth's office in silence. As the door quietly click shut, they sat on her couch, processing what just happened.

"Well, that went well," Henry started.

Elizabeth let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah," she breathed. Henry turned to face her, watching the anxiety that took up residence in her usually bright blue eyes ever since this whole thing started. They were now clouded, filtered with a hint of grey that surely reflected her mood, conveying the uncertainties that filled her mind. He knew he mirrored her, perhaps to a lesser degree since he wasn't the main target, but what she felt, he felt too.

"We're in this together," he reminded.

"We're in this together," she repeated, almost to convince herself that things will turn out fine. With a sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder. For now, she would have to hold on to that.

* * *

It was around 9pm when Isabelle arrived. Elizabeth welcomed her friend with a hug before inviting her in, a small tech team of two following in behind her. After serving them some drinks, they got to work.

"Tell me what happened," Isabelle prompted.

"We just got home from work and I laid down in the living room to rest a bitー"

"ーand I was making dinner," Henry added in, "Jason was doing his homework at the table nearby. At first, it was just one of the lamps acting up so I didn't think much about it, until the microwave and the fridge went completely bonkers."

"So I woke up, and all the lights were flashing, my TV was flickering like mad. I heard a shout from where Henry and Jason were so I rushed over and like he said, everything was just insane. We couldn't control or turn off anything." Her brows furrowed as she recounted the night before.

"Stephen King disco," Isabelle said, repeating the phrase Elizabeth used during their conversation and attempting to bring a little levity to the situation.

Henry cocked his head in slight confusion but Elizabeth merely chuckled darkly. "Right."

"It lasted around two to three minutes, then we checked the house to make sure there was no intruder before Elizabeth put Jason to bed and we called the police," Henry finished, looking at Isabelle waiting for her input while she stood listening to them.

"Were the windows and doors locked when you left for work that day?"

"C'mon, you know I wouldn'tー" Elizabeth started, but the feeling of Henry's hand on her back stopped her. She toned down. "Sorry, it's been a trying time," she mumbled.

Isabelle nodded. "I know, I'm sorry about all this, we just have to get through the routine questions, make sure we pursue every possible lead."

"Right," she almost laughed. She gazed at Isabelle knowingly, briefly recalling the analyst trainings they attended together and knowing her friend was thinking about the same thing. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking again. "Um, let's see, I'm almost certain I locked everything, but then again I've been pretty tired from work so I've been on auto-pilot mode."

Henry pitched in. "I'm sure you did, babe. But even if you didn't, the police dusted every possible entrance for prints and nothing turned up. So either this guy's sneaky or no one broke in and this was done remotely."

Suddenly, Elizabeth pulled Isabelle aside. "Did you find anything on John?" she murmured. She was adamant about her ex-husband not being involved in it at first, but as time passed, it became harder to deny that he could be a possible suspect.

"I've been keeping tabs on him, nothing much so far. He's still running his company here but the restraining order is still in effect. I made sure that the local authorities would keep an eye out for him and so far no one has reported seeing him or anyone similar in the neighborhood."

Just then, one of the two tech experts walked over to the trio with a tablet in hand.

"Amy, that was fast. Found anything?" Isabelle asked.

"Sort of," she said, a look of determination on her face. "We can confirm that the house was hacked remotely and they were quite thorough with their work, but we managed to isolate their signature. They go by the name of PhantomX." She passed the tablet to Isabelle, who scrolled through the data her team managed to pull out.

"Huh, interesting, anything on the guy from the CyberCom database?"

"No. As far as we know, they're new. We'll try to dig up more info as we go, but for now, this is all we have. We've added them to our watchlist so if they attempt to hack again, or do anything online for that matter, we'll be alerted to their activities immediately. I definitely advise you to keep everything offline until we catch the guy."

"Thank you, Amy, we really appreciate it." Elizabeth extended a hand to shake her hand, then walking over to her colleague to do the same.

The group bid their farewells for the night, Elizabeth stood facing the faintly lit street out front, watching each of them make their way home. Closing the door, she dragged herself up to her room, falling asleep within minutes.

Little did she notice the car parked right outside her neighbor's house, protected by the darkness of the night. The driver sat inside, nearly shaking with rage when he watched her kiss Henry goodnight, only calm enough to move when everyone had left. With a turn of the key, the engine rumbled to life.

"You'll pay for this," he whispered.

* * *

 **A/N:** I think it's becoming very obvious who the culprit is, haha. Leave a review - a word, sentence, whatever you think of this! I truly appreciate every comment you guys write x


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** HELLO I'm back! It took me a while to write this, but I hope I really captured what I intended to convey! Enjoy! (And please let me know what you think in the reviews!)

 **TRIGGER WARNING** : Mentions of abuse during flashbacks; refer to A/N at the end for summary.

* * *

"Jason, remember what I said? Straight to school andー" Elizabeth started, zooming around the kitchen to prepare for the day.

"Straight home," he finished. Over the past few days, Elizabeth had been drilling him with the same few parting sentences in the morning before he left for school. After the series of events, he could hardly blame his mom; he still felt wary of his surroundings wherever he went, jumping at any sudden sounds after the hack.

"Yes, andー"

"And call if there's any change of plans informing you of where I'll be and who I'll be with, as well as the time I'll be home."

"Yes, and alsoー"

"Watch out for anyone suspicious and have the police on speed dial. I got this, mom, try not to worry." He walked over and kissed her farewell on the cheek.

"I can't help it." Desperation edged into her voice.

"I know. See you tonight. Love you." And out of the door he went.

"Pepper spray?" Henry asked at the dining table, where him and his daughters were packing their bags and briefcase.

Stevie and Alison held it up for a brief second before dropping it into their bags. "Check."

"Alarm keychain?"

"Got it."

"Keys?"

They looked up at their dad quizzically. "We have to bring our keys everywhere, dad," Stevie reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but y'know, you can put them between your knuckles and punch the guy's eyes out or something." He shrugged.

The girls held up their set of keys before letting them join the pile of their belongings.

"Okay, good, love you guys, bye." Henry kissed both of them on the forehead and watched them leave, sending a prayer to God to keep them safe.

* * *

The reminders became routine, a ritual to go through every morning before the parents could let their children leave the house. By the second week since the incident, they had gotten used to the new rules and the kids had to constantly reassure them that they were keeping themselves safe. Meanwhile, the adults kept a lookout for anyone who was vaguely shady, knowing that the next attack will happen sooner or later. As Elizabeth continued to worry about Jason's safety, she refused to have dinners at Henry's or let him have a meal at hers so as to supervise ー well, protect ー their kids should the need arise. Growing weary of the diminishing time they spent together, Henry finally invited both of them over for dinner so that they would all be in the same space.

They greeted each other with a peck when Elizabeth arrived at his place while the kids rushed to catch up with each other. She sunk into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, an exhale of relief escaping her lips. He used the opportunity to bury his nose in her hair, the unique mix of her perfume and coconut shampoo floating to his senses, and felt the tension slip away from his own body. He was her source of comfort, and she was his.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hey." A small smile crept into his voice. As they broke apart, they left their hands linked while they made their way to the kids. Turning to everyone, he asked, "How does lasagna sound?"

Alison, Stevie, and Jason cheered in support of the idea, so the adults got to work — well, at least Henry did — and Stevie offered to help, stepping in to prepare some ingredients lest a slip of hand by Elizabeth resulted in a trip to the ER. Elizabeth sulked at their effort to keep her away from cooking.

"Babe, remember that time you were cutting that celery—"

"Right," Stevie chuckled, "Dad told me; you sent the stalk fl—"

"Okay, to be fair, it was really thick and hard to cut through!" She rebutted, exasperated. "You guys are mean, teaming up on me like this." Her eyes narrowed in mock annoyance.

Henry leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "Just trying to keep you safe."

She hummed in response, almost as if she wasn't fully convinced, but she let it drop. They simply knew her too well.

Stevie watched their banter, and despite all that was going on, she was glad to see her father finally, truly happy with someone else. If anything, they were a perfect match. Thinking about this, she smiled.

Henry caught it, his head cocking in question but Stevie merely shook her head.

Dinner was ready within 2 hours, and the McCords and Adams flocked to the table like a moth to light - Henry's cooking was to die for. Elizabeth looked around the table at the faces who have become family, a small flower of warmth blooming in her chest. It was moments like this that gave her some sense of normalcy and sanity in all the mess they were going through. Across the table, Henry met her gaze and smiled, knowing what she was thinking.

"Let's dig in."

* * *

When forks and spoons had cleaned food off every inch of their plates, Henry and Elizabeth remained at the table drinking wine while the kids passed out on the couches from arguing and food coma. Henry pulled up Elizabeth's leg onto his lap, gently massaging her feet, which were sore from being in heels at work.

"So...what were you talking about with Isabelle the other night?" he prompted lightly, knowing it was about John.

Elizabeth swallowed her wine a little too quickly and coughed. Henry jerked forward to help her but she held her hand up and cleared her throat. "I'm fine," she reassured him, her voice slightly strained. "Um, we were talking about John. Y'know...my ex-husband."

"Right," he nodded. "You guys seemed concerned about him…did he have anything to do with the...well let's just call it the incident."

She considered for a moment if she was ready to talk. With a sigh, she pulled her foot away from him and got up, eliciting an alarmed look from him.

"I'm just gonna get something stronger," she said, "Be right back."

A minute later, she returned with some scotch and 2 glasses. Pulling the cap out, she poured a generous amount before holding up the glass to him.

"Cheers." She took a swig, her face crumpling briefly as the burn of alcohol hit, then placed the drink down with a clunk.

Henry watched this in silence with awe and concern. He sensed that their divorce wasn't the most amicable, but now, he thought it might have just been a lot worse. Taking his own drink, he took a small sip and waited for her to start.

She peered out the kitchen, making sure that the kids were truly, soundly asleep before turning back to Henry. A few moments passed before she spoke again, the words she uttered so soft he could barely hear, but instantly sending waves of rage through his bones.

"He abused me."

She took another gulp of liquor, throwing her head back as a humorless chuckle bubbled through her lips.

* * *

 **EIGHT YEARS AGO, 2006**

Her phone buzzed on her desk just as she was combing through multiple tapes for some clue about the Middle East conflict that was going on. Brows narrowing, she picked it up. It was from her husband.

 _Where are you?_

She put it down. She couldn't lose her concentration now that she was in the thick of her work and had a momentum going. Plus, it was a silly question ー where else could she be?

Not even five minutes later, her phone went off again.

 _Why aren't you responding? I'm gonna call if you don't reply._

She exhaled a sigh. This wasn't new, it had been going on for a month or two now, ever since she was placed at the Middle East desk and got caught up in the whirlwind of things. John's paranoia was getting on her nerves.

Knowing he wasn't going to relent until she replied, she quickly dialled his number.

"Hey, honey," she started. She was cautious about holding the phone close to her ear, knowing the yelling that would follow her greeting.

And she was right ー he went on to rant about how she needed to be available just in case Jason needed his mother, especially since he was now taking over majority of the child-rearing responsibilities due to her new job. Not that he was doing a good job at it, she still needed to clean up after him when work finished for the day. If she was being honest to herself, it made no difference that he was working from home now.

She listened, but not too attentively, to the same old thing being said to her almost everyday. She knew what he was saying by now, humming and agreeing every few sentences.

Suddenly, his voice got louder, if that was even possible, causing her to wince. "Are you listening to me?!"

"Yes, honey. Sorry, I really have to get back to work. Love you." With that, she hung up and turned her phone off.

She was grateful that the office was generally a noisy place to begin with, and being reprimanded by demanding superiors over the phone was barely a rarity.

Feeling a headache coming on from the stress, she rubbed her temples before resuming her work.

But her conversation didn't go unnoticed.

Isabelle sat across the desk facing her colleague and best friend, pretending to type up a report while watching her. She had known Elizabeth since they entered the CIA, and had seen her handle all kinds of bosses with great finesse. But this was different. These phone calls, which would come around the same time each day, always seemed to make Elizabeth withdraw further into herself and cloud her focus. So when Isabelle observed this for a few consecutive days, she had to speak up.

"Hey, who was that?" she asked gently.

"Oh, that was just John." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, which remained a steely grey and contained barely a tinge of its usual lively blue.

"Everything okay? You can talk to me, Bess."

"Yeah, I think so," she nodded tiredly. Sure, John's behavior had been going on for a while but she couldn't blame him ー the transition from working full-time to part-time and assuming more of the homemaker role hadn't been easy. She chalked it up to the pressure of having new responsibilities at home and assumed it would disappear sooner or later. It had gone on for longer than she had expected but she figured it was probably coming to an end. "Just...home stuff."

Isabelle studied her for a moment. Elizabeth sensed the worry radiating off her body, almost in tangible waves, and laughed. "Really, everything's fine."

"Well, if you say so." She pulled back, deciding to let it go for now.

It didn't stop there.

Jason had fallen asleep in his room one night when John demanded for money. Again.

"Why can't you just let me access your bank account, huh, Elizabeth?! Spending on some man at work?! Is that why you've been coming home late?" John snarled.

"No, John, that's absurd, Iー Jason's asleep, let's notー" she whispered harshly, her hands fumbling over his shirt sleeves as she tried to move their discussion to a more private space. He complied, but just barely, slamming the door shut behind him as they entered their bedroom.

Now safely behind doors, she, too, raised her voice. "What is it with you, John?! W-why, what's happening with you?!" she pleaded. "I'm not seeing anyone! You and Jason mean everything to me!"

"Oh yeah? Then explain your late nights! What about that?!"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. When home meant dealing with this, she started putting in more hours at work. So of course she couldn't tell him that. "Iー the war's been getting worse, that's why!"

He went up to her and pulled at her blouse, hard. "Then why are you so guilty?" he spat. "You paused. You're hiding something."

Her eyes widened in fear, whimpers breaking out from her chest. "I swear I'm not, John, really...Let me go, please, you're hurting me." Her fingers clawed weakly at his wrists, trying to get them to release her.

Elizabeth McCord was a woman who could defend herself; she had undergone the physical training as an operative after all. But in that moment, every ounce of strength slipped away and she froze, unable to move, to shield herself, to push him away.

He stared into her eyes. "Give me your bank account, so I know for sure you aren't hanging out with some other guy." He grinned sweetly, as if he was a boy who merely asked for a candy from his mother. "That's the only way I can be sure, right, Elizabeth?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Satisfied, he shoved her and walked into the shower like nothing had happened. Elizabeth crumpled to the floor, heaving sobs as she tried to control her breathing and her pounding heart.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Jason had climbed out of his bed at the sound of his dad's booming voice and watched his parents' squabble. He had never seen his father like that; the dad he knew loved to bounce him on his shoulders and patiently help him with homework. It was a frightening sight, one that left him rooted to the ground. He struggled with the urge to run to his momma and block her from being hurt by the familiar stranger but the fear of being thrown like a doll struck him. He was no match for a full-grown adult. Clamping down on his lips to stop himself from crying, he crept back into his room before anyone found him outside the door.

Turns out, that wouldn't be the only incident John would turn aggressive. He was smart about it, not leaving any visible marks on her body, knowing what her colleagues and bosses would do if they knew.

He terrified her, but she couldn't leave. Not when she had Jason. In the mess of it all, he was innocent, just a sweet kid who loved his mom and dad. And more than that, she had nowhere to go. Her parents were long gone, her brother in some foreign country saving lives. With John tracking her every move and controlling her finances, how could she escape? Time and time again, she could only placate him and hope that he wouldn't harm Jason. She was willing to take any blow, as long as her baby boy didn't get the receiving end of it.

Jason also continued to hear their arguments, the near violent confrontations between them. He tried his best to pretend not knowing anything about it but couldn't help distancing himself from the monster that bore his dad's skin. Thankfully, Elizabeth and John didn't sense that his behavior out of place since it was expected during adolescence.

Despite everything, Isabelle knew better, having been taught the art of observance on the job. She watched as her friend transformed from being a sassy, ray of sunshine in the office into a shadow of herself. The bags under her eyes grew more pronounced and her usual work attire grew a little more unkempt. The sound of her personal cell going off would cause her to jump in her seat. She also ended up being the first person to work and the last person to leave. It was unusual, to say the least, seeing all the changes in Elizabeth's behavior.

Seeing that Elizabeth was the kind to keep her walls up, Isabelle tried to coax information out of her over a beer or two after work. She was reluctant at first, considering the castigation that awaited her at home. However, John was going to scream at her either way, so she eventually agreed.

After being seated at a bar round the corner from work, they ordered fried everything and a pint of their favorite drinks each.

"Just like the ol' training days," Elizabeth joked as they were served their food.

As dinner went on, she wasn't shy about going through multiple rounds of alcohol quickly. It had been a while since she had a night out like this. Plus, if she was going to have to deal with the shouting, she figured she might as well do it while slightly intoxicated to numb the aftermath. Isabelle eventually had to stop her.

"Woah, woah, woah, Bess, don't you think you're drinking too much?" she frowned.

"I'm drinking just fine," Elizabeth hiccupped, a drunk smile plastered on her face. She raised her hand to get the server's attention for yet another beer but Isabelle put a hand on her arm.

Too late. The server had caught it and came over. "Can I get you ladies anything?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak but Isabelle cut her off. "We're good, thanks." She then faced her friend. "Okay, I've seen enough over the past few weeks to know something's wrong, and I know it has something to do with John. Spill. And I'm not taking 'I'm fine' as an answer. Is he hurting you? Tell me, because if he is, I will march over to kick him in the balls right away."

It started out as giggles, an attempt to deny the allegations, then the tears came. They started slowly initially, then flowed down her face in an unbroken stream, her shoulders slumping in defeat. She made no effort to wipe them away, too tired to fight it. Her secret, finally out of the bag. A flurry of emotions rushed through her ー sadness, anger, frustration, shame.

But above all, there was relief. At last, someone who knew.

Isabelle's heart broke at the sight of Elizabeth before her. She had never seen the woman so vulnerable, even when she spoke of her parents, painfully taken away from her too early in her life. Rising from her side of the table, she moved over to sit beside Elizabeth and tenderly wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Elizabeth didn't resist, merely resting her head in the crook of her neck as sobs wracked through her body.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here," Isabelle soothed, holding back her own tears. She was suddenly grateful that they had been given a more private booth that night.

They stayed in each other's embrace for a while, until Elizabeth's body couldn't bring itself to cry anymore. Even then, she remained silent, unsure of what to say. By then, the bar had emptied out, only a few patrons lingering as the night grew late. Then, Isabelle broke the quiet.

"I'm so sorry I didn't step in earlier," she sighed.

"How could you have known?" Elizabeth croaked.

"You might be one of the best people in the CIA, Bess, but I know you, I knew something was off."

"I don't know what to do, Isabelle," she whispered, terrified. "Jason, my baby…"

* * *

 **CURRENT DAY**

"Isabelle helped me get out. I took a day off the next day without John knowing, packed up all my stuff and Jason's, then we moved to Isabelle's. John didn't know enough about her to find me anyway." Elizabeth recounted, sniffling. "Once we got there, we started filing papers for a restraining order. Dalton, my boss, he helped pull some strings with the authorities. He knew some attorney, or something like that, and it was a done deal within weeks. Last I saw John was at the court hearing, and then he was gone." She wiped away another stray tear, a bittersweet smile on her lips. "I don't really keep tabs on him. I didn't want to be reminded of that time. Then with all this crap recently, I don't think he would do it. Even for him, it would be sorta below him I guess, but then again, I mean...he's a high-ranking employee at some tech company after all, so maybe...I don't know…"

Henry's free hand balled into a fist, his knuckles turning white. He was furious that she had to go through that, that she was treated as if she was less than. More than anything, he felt winded, as if he was punched in the gut, watching her tell him about it. It was almost physically painful to see the woman he loved in this state. He wanted to say something, anything, to comfort her but he couldn't quite find the words. He thought he might just scream if he opened his mouth at all.

"I went to therapy afterwards," she chuckled darkly, the alcohol clearly flowing in her system. "That woman, Dr. Sherry? Wait no, Dr. Sherman. Something like that. A colleague recommended her to me. Lemme tell ya, she said lotsa hooey stuff. But most of it made sense, I think. I'm here in one piece," she said proudly, holding up her glass. "So cheers to that." She took another sip before falling quiet, occasionally sighing, still in thought.

Carefully, he gathered her hand in his and brought it to his lips, planting a kiss on her knuckles before pressing her hand to his face. Her warmth against his skin provided a calming presence, allowing him to find his voice to finally speak.

"I'm so sorry he did that to you, you didn't deserve it, any of it," he murmured, sorrow seeping into his words. Grasping her fingers a little firmer, he spoke again, this time with great conviction. "I love you so, so much, Elizabeth Adams. And I promise that you'll never have to go through it ever again. You're my whole world."

She sobered up a little at his declaration, then gave a lopsided grin. "I kinda love you too, Henry McCord." Hiccup. "Actually, no, I love you a lot." Hiccup. "You're the second best thing that has happened to me."

"Only second best?" he teased.

"Mm, Jason's always first. Even though he's a brat."

Henry chuckled. "Right." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "C'mon babe, time for bed."

She simply hummed, too exhausted at this point. Henry checked on the kids and made sure all the doors and windows were locked before gathering her up in his arms.

He felt her slip into slumber, her breaths slowing down to a slow, steady rhythm, just as he carried her down the corridor to his room. Placing her on the bed, he prepared a glass of water and an aspirin by her night stand knowing she'd need it in the morning.

Joining her, he pulled her flush against him and created a protective embrace around her. Instinctively, she moved closer to him.

"I won't let him or anyone else hurt you anymore," he whispered. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

* * *

 **A/N:** Elizabeth tells Henry that she was abused by her ex-husband.


End file.
